


Golden Dragon Scales

by SweetGumdrop



Category: Naruto
Genre: Abuse, Dragon AU, Dragon!Naruto, First Love, Homophobia, Human!Sasuke, M/M, Manipulation, Mpreg, NaruSasu - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-25
Updated: 2017-03-26
Packaged: 2018-08-17 06:53:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 30,974
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8134351
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SweetGumdrop/pseuds/SweetGumdrop
Summary: Dragon scales fetch a high price nowadays. Killing one was an honor and honor could buy a man his dreams. Sasuke's dreams though, were a little different from the average man. He just wanted a bit of love with a splash of gold.





	1. Solid Sunshine

Huffing and puffing in the cool afternoon winds Sasuke kept pace with his clan as they ran through the forest tracking a fallen dragon. There had been rumors of a beast living high up on the mountain where human men couldn't trespass that had been rampaging through fields. Recently it had been flying down more and more often to swipe away cattle and lamb to fly it back up to its nest.

There was talk that it was preparing for birth or that it was the dominant one of a large group of them.

Sasuke had never slayed a dragon before, now was his chance. If he could properly track it and get to it first he'd rise high in the ranks of his clan. His brother had already slain three beasts and far off to Sasuke's right he could see the dragon skin cloak glinting in the dark light.

A very select few of his clansmen have ever earned the honor of skinning their own dragon and donning its cloak. Impenetrable by steel and impervious to fire, it was a badge of honor to be proudly worn and respected. Gold, White and Black dragons were rare, since they didn't possess any camouflage capabilities there were a few of them, easily seen so easily hunted, but since there were only a few of them, they had evolved to be much more vicious. A fearsome black monster and ripped apart a whole town and slaughtered everyone in it just because it could.

With resolve in his heart to both protect his people and make a name for himself he slowed down, eyes darting about to pick up the trail that was rapidly cooling. His lantern burned hot in his palm but he kept with it, slowly and quietly moving along, his footstep deliberate and slow.

He spots a broken branch, a leaf splattered with blood and smirks to himself.

He'd found the trail again.

His first thought was to yell for his clansmen, alert them that they were going the wrong way but he felt selfish. This was and perhaps would ever be his only chance to slay a dragon and stand alongside his brother on the top tier of hunters. Biting his lip he turned and moved off, quietly parting ways with his people to chase the beast alone.

When his clan had gotten wind of the terror that had flown down on a small part of their lands they'd set a trap for it in their fields. Careless and hungry it must've not smelt the excess of humans in the area and when it had touched down, lanky as it was, they attacked, battle cries and weapon and a brave hunter had hurtled a spear at it. Sasuke could still here the blood chilling shriek it flew into the air, the spear must've pierced its soft underbelly but before they could descend upon it, it had flapped it massive wings and escaped into the sky. It had not flown far before it had rapidly started to descend. The hunt had begun.

Sasuke could feel the adrenaline pumping in his veins as he found thicker and thicker blood splatters closer and closer together. He quickly unclipped his spear from his back and readied his knife. A sound to his left has him veering and seeking cover behind trees when he caught a glimmer of light. So late in the afternoon and other than a precious jewel there could only be one thing in the bramble. Quietly he approached as a loud groan echoed off the trees. Sasuke outs his lamp and readies his spear. He keeps his breathing as steady as he could. Even injured the monster could still roast him alive.

He stayed behind the trees, avoiding branches and leaves the best he could while staying downwind so the dragon wouldn't catch his scent. He crept along in a wide arc until he spotted a thick golden tail, it smacked the ground hard, pebbles bouncing up and leaves floating up and away, Sasuke sucked in a breath and hefted his spear up over his shoulder. Another quick breath and he was darting from the bushes, his spear in a tight grip he readied himself and took aim only to skid to a stop as wide fearful blue eyes landed on him.

It was a man.

The most beautiful man Sasuke had ever seen. His heart stuttered in his chest for only a moment before he saw the man's mouth stretch in a yawn, his chest swelling, and flickers of light in the back of his throat and then he was spewing fire at Sasuke.

He dodged left, and then dodged again behind a tree.

It was a man, but not quite a man. He was tall, taller than the tallest man Sasuke had ever seen. His skin was dusty but not from the dirt that stuck to him as he fled. But more like a shimmer like a cloudy pearl Sasuke had seen in his mother's jewelry box. He had a thick spiky tail and the sides of his arms, legs and face were covered with scales.

Overall though, despite the mutation to his body Sasuke found him ethereal. He may be a beast but he was also the most beautiful man Sasuke had every caught glimpse of.

Sasuke couldn't believe his eyes. Could dragons manipulate the mind? Could this beast take the form of his deepest perversions? He'd only ever told his brother about whom he liked to spend his company with and he'd promised to never speak of it again. Fear and anger rose up in his chest and he repositioned his spear as he peeked out behind the tree.

The thick golden wings fluttered weakly as his tail swayed behind him, he staggered, pressing against a tree to steady himself but he'd lost too much blood. He couldn't keep himself up and the weight of it all had him crashing to his knees. He groaned loudly and Sasuke peeked out from behind the tree. He was prepared for the fire, he would be swayed by his beauty, but could he call himself a dragon hunter if he didn't actually slay the dragon… and if the dragon wasn't actually a dragon…?

Sasuke edged out from behind the tree, watching as he struggled to rise from his knees but ended up crumpling to ground, his labored breathing blowing up dust and his wound spewing even more blood. He didn't think a dragon, half dragon, rather, would give him any honor at all.

He approached once more his spear held firm in his sweaty grip. The man looked at him again, his face twisted in agony. "Go on then," he gasped spitting out blood and dirt, his hands pressed to his side in an effort stop the blood flow. Sasuke had never heard of dragons speaking before. He'd been taught they were mindless, instinct driven, bloodthirsty beasts and yet…

"You can speak?" Sasuke asked bewilder and the beast groaned in response. Cautiously Sasuke approached, wary of him but his curiosity outweighing his sense of danger. It seems so human, but not at the same time. Sasuke just could not get passed that point. Even his hair seem otherworldly, he'd before seen hair as bright as it was on this dragons head.

He moved closer to it and setting the alarm bells in his mind off to the side he hefted a thick arm over his shoulder, wondering briefly if the dragon could snap his neck if he was so inclined, and eased him in an upright position, leaning his against the tree. He groaned again, his wings stretching behind him before he leaned forward, dragging Sasuke with him and forcing the young man to support his weight as he tucked his wings close to his back. He clasped both hands tightly over his side and pressed as hard as he could, grit his teeth with the effort. Sasuke righted him once more and used a rag he had to wipe some of the blood and grime away.

"Why do you help me human? Your people did this to me." Sasuke was caught off guard yet again by the dragon's smooth baritone. He moved away, giving the man space as he settled more comfortably. He groaned out loud again and Sasuke handed him the rag, he snatched it from him and quickly pressed it to his body.

"We're dragon hunters and you were killing our livestock." The beast chuckled, his mouth cracking in a grin blood draining from a corner of his lips. He spat off to the side and Sasuke shuffled away to sit out of arm's length in case the dragon decided he'd had enough human companionship and wanted a light snack instead.

"Well I must eat as well."

"So you are human?" He chuckled again making Sasuke frowned. "You're dying… how can you be laughing?"

"Because I am dying… That is why I laugh." Not only was this man an abomination of nature but he also spoke in riddles. It was simultaneously annoying Sasuke and worrying him.

"If… if I help you… will you tell me what you are?" A golden brow rose at him, something twinkling in the ocean blues of the beast's eyes.

"I will, human boy," he grinned again and there was much more blood in his mouth this time.

"Stay here. I will get medicine from my clan and bring it back to you. Do not die beast." Another grin. Sasuke rolled his eyes.

Busying himself he started to retrace his steps to cover the tracks that he'd followed, leaving indistinguishable marks as he retreated. "Naruto," the beast called out. Sasuke paused in his task.

"What?" he could no longer see the golden beast but he could still hear his labored breathing. "My name is not beast. It is Naruto." Sasuke nodded though the beast probably couldn't see him.

"Sasuke of the Uchiha clan, second born of Fugaku." He didn't wait for a response but instead went back to his task.

It had taken longer than he thought to cover Naruto's track but when he'd finally finished and returned home many of his clansmen were in the warmth of their homes and so hadn't seen him sneak into the medical building to take several vials of liquids, bottles of paste and bandages.

He'd briefly asked himself if he were doing the right thing but dismissed the thought as this was at the expense of gaining knowledge. That was why he'd help, if only to learn what this new species was and how best to get rid of them too. With his resolve cemented he quietly crept home with his bag of provisions to sleep before setting out early the next morning.

000

He found the half dragon unconscious, chilled and even paler than previously, his wings splayed out beneath him as he lay on his back. He rushed up to him mindful of his wings as he got close enough to lay his coat on him as he checked his pulse. It was faint, fluttering under his fingertips but still there. He quickly rummaged through his bag, pulling out ointments, vials and wraps and setting them aside before he uncovered the wound and started to tend to it. It had miraculously already started to heal. A thick scab had sealed the wound but after seeing the dirt and sticks in it, Sasuke decided to peel it off. It was as hard as the scales on the man though, and just using his fingernails were proving unfruitful. Frowning he reached for his knife and carefully he started to pick at the edges of it. Naruto groaned, a frown marking a v in his brows as he turned and blinked slowly.

Sasuke's breath caught in his throat a flush warming his cheeks. He'd never not be amazed at how beautiful the dragon's eyes were; like a clear lake in the summer. "It's me, Sasuke," he whispered, gently laying a hand on his chest and pushing him back down, his other hand stilling a wing that had bat against his leg. Naruto chuckled, lying back down and relaxing.

"You came back," he commented, disbelief in his tone. Sasuke scoffed at the unsaid accusation.

"Uchiha's keep their word, dragon." Naruto chuckled again and Sasuke couldn't decide whether to find it annoying or adorable. Naruto's teeth were much prettier without blood splattered all over them though and he found himself staring at Naruto's mouth much longer than socially acceptable. He cleared his throat and turned his eyes back to the wound. "I need to peel this scab off… but it's as hard as your scales," hesitantly he touched the back of Naruto's arm, lightly running his fingers over the golden scaled etched into his skin.

"Hmm… my natural healing abilities have already started to work, I don't require your assistance. I just need food and rest. Perhaps some water as well." He gave a pointed look at Sasuke's bag and he figured the dragon could smell the meat he had stored in it. Fishing it out he rolled his eyes before helping Naruto into a sitting position and dropping the food onto his loincloth which Sasuke had somehow not noticed till now. Looking at the cloth though, he could see the beast's impressive length beneath it; he looked away quickly a dark flush creeping up his neck again. Out of the side of his eye he checked to see if Naruto was disgusted with him instead he was looking at the piece of meat. He sniffed it and scowled disdainfully his wings shifting behind him momentarily before neatly tucking themselves back into place. His tail though swatted at the ground seemingly acting on its own accord.

"What's wrong with it? I didn't prepare it myself but my mother is an excellent cook. She uses the freshest herbs that she grows herself, I've seen."

"How long has this been dead?"

"Hmm… well perhaps a month," Naruto's face twisted with a nasty look and Sasuke felt offended on his mother's behalf.

"I'd rather something that has been killed within a day or two. I like to lick the blood from my fingers," Naruto was still twisting the meat between his fingers so he missed Sasuke's look of utter disgust but he definitely heard the boy's stomach gurgle, upset at the thought of eating raw meat. Naruto truly was a beast.

"Well too bad. I didn't bring anything like that!"

Naruto cocked his head to the side and regarded his companion. "You seem upset with me. It must be the adolescent hormones. You were just attracted to me…" He hummed, lips pursed with thought. A flush exploded on Sasuke. He stuttered pushing up from the ground he scoffed.

"I am not attracted to you! You're a beast! I'm not attracted a monster!" Sasuke denied. He scoffed again feeling flustered and embarrassed. "Fine, you animal, I'll hunt you something to eat. I'll make sure it's dripping and soggy and disgusting!" Naruto raised an eyebrow before slowly raising the meat to mouth and taking a bite of it.

"No need. Calm down boy." He chewed slowly, obviously not enjoying his meal but at the sake of riling Sasuke up he ate it quietly. Sasuke huffed again, patted down his clothes before he plopped down on the ground. He leaned against a tree and folded his arms across his chest, gaze firmly off to the side, his cheeks still dark and his heart hammering in his chest.

"You don't have to eat it if you don't want to. I'm a hunter too I can hunt you something else. I just thought it would be faster if it was already cooked." Sasuke defended. Naruto nodded and hummed. "But… if I were attracted to you it wouldn't be you. It would be your wings. They're pretty." Naruto chuckled at that.

"Admiration and attraction have very different smells." Sasuke finally turned to look at him.

"Different smells?" He echoed. Naruto gave him a short nod, still munching on his meat and sipping water from a small bottle Sasuke had brought. "You can smell what I'm feeling?" Sasuke's interests were piqued. He'd heard that dragons could smell a human man from miles and miles away but he had no idea of the depths of their smell.

"Hmm something like that, your scent changes. It's as if you were making faces at me. It's harder to describe than I imagined." Naruto mused, tossing the last piece of meat into his mouth, "Then again I've never spoken to a human before."

Sasuke shuffled closer, handing bread over as he thought of what to ask next, "So… you yourself aren't a human?"

Naruto grinned at him, "I'm more beast than man. I don't classify myself as a human. I'm much more superior." Sasuke scoffed and sneered at him.

"If you're so superior then why did our traps catch you?"

"Good question." He replied a dark look on his face. "The youngling we sent to scout for food reported that the area was all cleared. His sense of smell is much more concise than my own. He can smell prey from leagues away…" Naruto looked angry all of a sudden.

"Was… someone trying to hurt you?" he tried to keep the worry from his voice but Naruto's softening features told him that he failed.

"Not intentionally. He has been courting a cute half breed from the north so I think he shirked his duties. He'll be severely punished when I return." He pushed up to his feet and dusted his skin off, stretching wings impressively wide and Sasuke couldn't help but marvel at him. In the moonlight his scales and golden hues glistened.

"What will you be doing now? You can't fly, not with those wounds and not while my clan knows you've been downed. They're still looking for you. Uchihas are relentless and your scales could make a man rich for life. You scales almost look like actual gold…" Sasuke admired them, stared at the ground where the moon was reflecting the glow of the scales on the ground.

"They are gold."

Sasuke looked up quickly, "What?" he couldn't resist stepping closer to investigate. He ran his fingers over Naruto's arm and ribs and gently stroked the skin of his wings.

"We used to dig up the gold ourselves from across the mountains but they were in such huge chunks that it was impractical to live off of. So we let the dwarfs have the caves of the mountain and in exchange for our protection from the elves they feed us with gems and minerals. My mother consumed more gold than any other mineral hence the color of my scales. When I shed them, I'll send them down to the dwarfs to be melted then I'll eat them again."

Sasuke eyes were wide with wonder, none of his people had information like that, they just assumed that dragons hatched from the middle of volcanoes and came to terrorize them when they were old enough. "I didn't know that," he was absentmindedly still stroking Naruto's scales but in a downward motion, they were too sharp to do that in the opposite direction. "Tell me more." Sasuke demanded.

"No human. I must return to my people. I have duties to tend to." He gently eased his arms away from Sasuke's probing fingers and stretched his wings again.

"You can't fly! Wait!" Naruto had already started to walk off. Sasuke quickly gathered up his bags and water bottle before he ran after the dragon, mindful of his sharp spiky tail when he ran up behind him. "I want to know more. I can lead you out of the forest if you promise to share your knowledge with me."

Naruto paused as he seemed to continue it, "No. I can't risk the lives of my people. I'll find my own way out."

"You could get lost! And if you do and you decide to fly you'll be shot down and I won't help you again…"

"I'll rely on my nose. Search for the scent of ice and water."

"Ice and water…?" Sasuke stumbled over an overgrown root and in his haste to steady himself he ripped the skin on his palms on the bark of a bramble bush. He hissed and snatched his arm to his chest. "Dammit!" He swore. He couldn't very well chase after the dragon if he couldn't even keep up. Naruto was taller and despite being injured his strides were long and confident and Sasuke was barely into adulthood. He was still awkward and trying to gain his confidence.

"Let me see…" Naruto murmured close to his side. Sasuke could feel his warmth from where he stood clutching his injured hand like a child.

"I don't need your help," his cheeks darkened with his shame. Naruto would sooner be sending him home than having him help him out of the forest. Naruto ignored him though and scooped him up into his arms.

"There's a stream a few paces that way. It won't take long."

Sasuke spluttered and wiggled. "Put me down beast!" he hissed wiggling harder when a row of scales nicked his leg. He stilled instantly. "You're more danger to me than the ground…" Sasuke mumbled trying to squeeze his hand shut to stop the blood flow.

As good natured as ever Naruto barked out a laugh and grinned down at him. "True my scales are dangerous but at least I'm male!" He laughed again as if there was a joke. Sasuke's heart was on the verge of jumping out of his throat though. The beast knew about his perversion. He'd abandon him at the pool like his parents would abandon him if they found it. Naruto set him down with much care near the bank of the stream and after filling up his small bottle he brought it back to the dark haired young man. "If only you had magic. You could heal a simple cut like that." Naruto watched him raptly as he applied some of the salve he brought to the gashes and then bound it tightly, with Naruto's help, with strips of cloth.

"Imagine I brought all this for you and you ended up not needing any of it… " he was trying to fill the silence. It was a bit awkward being with Naruto. He was tall, gorgeous and confident in himself. Sasuke was still trying to figure out who he was and where he was going. What would he do next. He didn't want to let the dragon go and lose his one opportunity at genuine companionship but at the same time he didn't want to bind the dragon to him just because he spared his life.

"What are you thinking human?" Naruto was crouched by the edge of the pool, the water rising all the way up to his knees. Sasuke looked away quickly, hoping the loincloth wouldn't shift anymore. "I was thinking that you need to put some damn clothes on!" He scowled at the dragon's passive face.

"You humans are too fickle and prideful. In fact, I suggest you take your clothes and bask in the glow of the moon with me."

Sasuke snorted, "You must be out of your mind. It's freezing out here." Without Naruto's high body heat near him he hadn't noticed the cold until now.

Naruto sighed as if he pitied the human race, "this is why you need magic. As a dragon I am always the perfect temperature. Within reason, of course."

"Within reason?" He didn't mean to pry, he blamed it on his natural human curiosity.

"You're a smart boy Sasuke," the young man frowned at the word boy, "why don't you travel the word for the answers you seek? There are more… well adapted people than you."

"What does that mean?"

Naruto stepped out of the water and after short spin he pointed beyond the trees, "Across the spine of this mountain there are lands and people more tolerant than what you know now. Your ways aren't set in stone." Naruto must've seen that Sasuke wasn't following. "There are men, and women, like you Sasuke," his breath caught in his chest, "people who prefer the company of their own sex. You do not have to live in fear. You can love and live a full life."

Sasuke shook his head. "That's a lie. There's nothing beyond the mountains but a wasteland."

Naruto laughed out loud, "Nonsense! Who told you that?"

"My father," he felt mocked so he switched from surprised to defensive.

"Then your father is a liar," the blonde shrugged easily.

Sasuke shot up from his chair, glaring at the beautiful man with as much fire in his eyes as he could muster, "how dare you…" Bigger or not if Naruto disrespected his people again he would punch him in the face.

Naruto didn't seem put off though, he just kept staring off into the distance, "it's true. To isolate you all he must have concocted a blatant lie."

Sasuke's body shook with anger, "he is not lying. No one who has crossed the spine has ever returned!" He was about to swing first when Naruto finally looked at him. His gaze was the most serious than Sasuke had ever seen.

"Perhaps they didn't come back not because they couldn't, but because they didn't want to." Sasuke felt like he was the one who got punched. This side of the mountain was all he knew and yet now he was being told there was whole other world out there? It seemed so far fetched but… whenever Sasuke had asked about what exactly lay across the spine he'd gotten a mix of 'nothing, death, plague, famine' or just darkness.

He'd always had inklings that there was something else out there but he'd never been brave enough to go. "This is just a lot to take in…" he sat down heavily on the ground, mindful of his injured hand.

"It's normal to fear the unknown. To not want to put yourself in danger. That is no fault of your own." So Naruto said but Sasuke was still having a hard time believing that his father would lie to him like that. He wanted to see this place.

"Take me there." A flush stained his cheeks. Of course this was a prime opportunity to stay with Naruto a little longer but also he wanted to meet other people like him. Not particularly to make Naruto jealous per se but after traveling together for months Naruto may be reluctant to part with him. Just the thought of Naruto begging him to stay with him had butterflies fluttering around in his stomach.

Naruto cocked his head at him, "I- Sasuke I don't think…"

He didn't want to use the guilt card so early but it looks like he didn't have a choice. "Please. As payment for saving your life."

Naruto raised a sleek blonde brow, "You were the one-"

Sasuke waved him off. "Yes, yes but that's besides the point. Will you help me to get there as payment for your life debt?"

Naruto sighed, "That doesn't even feel like a question. More like a demand." Sasuke stared. "Very well. Since you saved my life I shall escort you across the spine." A grin just started to creep across his face when Naruto raised a hand. "It will not be easy. It will also be very cold. Normally I would fly home then down to the other side of the spine but I'm not strong to carry you all the way."

"Yes. I understand. What do I need to bring?"

"Clothes. Warm clothes for both of us. My injury prevents me from flying home to get my own clothes so you'll need to provide those. You'll need the thickest you can find. If you ride me you might shred your skin to bits otherwise." Sasuke winced at the visual. "I can hunt us food but we'll need a pot to boil water."

"So basic hunting gear. Got it. I'll go get them and meet you back here. Okay?" he felt like he needed to ask or Naruto would fly off without him.

Naruto smiled at him in the dazzling way that only he could, "Okay." he echoed. "I'll wait here for you. We'll set out after dawn." Naruto pulled him into a one armed hug and shook him. "Say your goodbyes and think long and hard so that you don't regret this." A clawed hand cupped his cheek. "Okay?"

Too close! Naruto was too close! He shoved himself away from the blonde and stalked off into the woods his heart hammering in his chest and his uninjured palm sweating. He couldn't tell if he was frightened or excited but he did know that after tomorrow his life wouldn't be the same anymore.


	2. A Better Tomorrow

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These two chapters were already written so I decided to just post them back to back without delay. Other chapters will proceed as normally as I can manage.
> 
> Chapter warnings apply as there are some words and action below that may make several persons uncomfortable. Please bare that in mind.

Sasuke hurried home, his heart pounding and mind overflowing with thoughts. Most of them about Naruto, the rest about a beautiful land where he was laughing and always happy. Stealthily he made his way across shops and through his neighbor's backyards as he maneuvered and weaved through toys and yard ornaments, mostly weapons. Spotting his home he jumped the short fence and scaled the side of the yard using grooves in the stone wall that he gouged himself.

He pulled and pushed himself up with his makeshift hand and footholds up to the second floor where he quietly and slowly slid his window open before he tossed his backpack and spear in then tumbled in onto the floor. His hand throbbed with the impact but it wasn't horrible pain so he grinned it off, bearing it with a grain of salt.

He just tugged his shirt over his head when his bedroom light clicked on. He hurriedly shucked his shirt into the corner and whirled around. Standing by the doorway of his closed door was his elder brother and current top tier warrior, bearer of three dragon skins and the next in line to rule their clan by a majority vote. He had women lined up to breed for him. His worth in gold was immense. Currently he was silently staring at his little brother. Sasuke tried to read his expression but his mind was drawing a blank as empty as Itachi Uchiha's face.

"Brother," he greeted and bowed slightly to his elder. He didn't want to outright ask his brother what he was doing in his room, that would be improper and rude, but Sasuke did have a right to his personal space. "Good evening," he finished lamely, he felt uncomfortable standing there bare chested. He'd seen his brother naked before. His brother was tall, long silky dark haired, smooth unblemished milky skin, chiseled abs and thick legs and arms to match. A true warrior. Whereas Sasuke was thin and tall but not tall enough to stand out in a crowd and his muscles were more lean than defined. He wanted to cover himself but then thought better of it and instead stood and rolled his shoulders back.

"Little brother," Itachi finally spoke his voice a smooth deep baritone. Sasuke knew first hand that Itachi had a voice that rivaled the best singers. Itachi didn't look like he was about to break out in song though and after gathering his courage he stepped forward.

"Brother, what brings you to my room. I was just about to head to bed."

Itachi hummed as he meandered about the room before he perched himself on the edge of Sasuke's bed and leaned back on his elbows. Probably to give the illusion that he was relaxed but Sasuke knew better. He took his cue to sit and did so on the floor. "Where were you?" Itachi rumbled lowly.

Sasuke's heart kicked up in his chest. "I went into the forest brother. I lost track of time." Not exactly a lie. He had been in the forest. He had lost track of time, who wouldn't. Time seemed endless around a living breathing dragon man.

"I see…" Itachi sat forward this time resting his elbow on his knees as he stared down at his brother Sasuke who was sitting on his legs his posture rigid and stiff. Itachi's conscious effort to look relaxed and unimposing was setting off warning bells in Sasuke's head. "And your stroll in the forest was so important that you abandoned your duty to take up the rear of the group."

Sasuke's heart was galloping in his chest now, "my apologies brother," he bowed low this time, his back bent in an arch. "I could have sworn I saw another trail."

"Are you implying my tracking skills are… flawed?" Itachi asked softly, Sasuke barely caught the words. He sat up in alarm.

"No brother I would never! I promise you! I went to look at it but it was inconclusive. There was nothing-" the punch came swiftly. If Sasuke had never been hit before he would have blacked out from the force of it. His head snapped to the side and his whole body tilted to the side. Spots danced in front of his eyes as he tried to steady himself. He righted himself and stared ahead at his brother. He looked as charming and disarming as he did just seconds before.

"Father thinks it is best if you not embarrass us again. You'll be sent to the fields as a sentinel to watch over the cattle. There may be more dragons." Itachi's voice was soft but powerful nonetheless. It commanded attention. Even being disciplined Sasuke had only the utmost respect for his elder sibling.

"I understand brother. Thank you for forgiving my trespasses." He gave another short bow before he straightened.

"Of course little brother," Itachi slid down from the bed to pull Sasuke into a warm hug. These fleeting moments of physical closeness always warmed Sasuke down to his toes. He risked a one armed hug back. "You know I would anything for you brother. Right?" he nodded into Itachi's neck. "But if you disgrace father again even I won't be able to protect you from his wrath do you understand?" Itachi pulled away now. Staring intently into his brother's eyes to convey a silent message.

"I understand. I won't disappoint father. Or you…" he trailed off and looked off to the side. Even now Naruto was on his mind.

"You met someone in the forest?" Itachi asked pulling away, a scowl openly on his face.

"I didn't do anything I shouldn't have!"

"You didn't?" Itachi growled at him and he immediately simmered down as Itachi got up and paced the length of Sasuke's room. He probably shouldn't have denied doing anything. It made him seem guilty of something but he was on a roll now so he just kept talking.

"I met a man. He wasn't from the clan. I didn't do anything with him brother. I have heeded your words."

"And what exactly did you do?" Itachi's voice was calm again and he elegantly dropped down on the floor and neatly tucked his knees beneath him. He stared at Sasuke expectantly while he waited to hear what happened.

"I met him when I broke off from the hunting party," he began slowly measuring Itachi's reactions by his facial tics. None so far so he continued. "He was just traveling. Said he was coming from far. Said he was going across the spine of the mountain!" Sasuke contained his excitement poorly.

Itachi sighed as though he were dealing with a slow child, "there is nothing across the spine of the mountain."

"He said he's been there before," Itachi's eyebrow twitch. "He said that… that it was a place completely unlike our own. He said… he said there were more men like me." Itachi's face twisted with so much open disgust that Sasuke recoiled for his own safety. He was about to shuffle away to the safety of the far wall when Itachi grabbed his thigh in a tight grip. Sasuke's eyes darted down to his leg as he licked his lips.

"Brother." Itachi said in a strained voice. "Please don't tell me you've become infatuated with the thought that there are more abominations like you?"

Sasuke blinked at the world. "I- I just thought that maybe if it were true I could just see." Itachi's brow twitched again. "You could come with me." The next punch Sasuke saw coming but seeing it or not made no difference. Itachi was too fast for him to dodge so he grits his teeth and let it snap his head to the side. His head whipped back with so much force it pitched him over backwards and before he could scramble to his feet Itachi was on top of him.

"Why brother?" There was so much pain in Itachi's eyes it almost seemed like he was who got hit but Sasuke's throbbing cheek protested. "After all I've done to protect you. To cleanse you. Why do you not change?"

"Brother please!" He couldn't get his next words out. Itachi raised his fist high and rained blow after blow down on his gut. He coughed up spit and bile. He roared and with all the strength he could muster he bucked Itachi just enough to get him loose so he could scramble away on his hands and knees. "Brother!" He hurried to his feet. Itachi was already there though.

"You are disgusting little brother." Itachi fisted his hair and slammed his head into the wall. He groaned loudly. Surely their parents must hear what's happening. "You must be cleansed of these impure thoughts," he whispered close to Sasuke's ear and he swung at him. Sasuke had 2 seconds of pure joy at getting a hit in before the older Uchiha wrenched his offending arm painfully behind his back and shoved his face up against the wall. "Vile!" Itachi hissed and slammed his head into the wall. "Must I beat you every day?" Another slam into the wall. "You are becoming a disgrace." Slam. "I cannot allow father to take you from me." _Slam_. "I must help you myself." _Slam_. His vision swam and black crept at the edges, one eye smudged with blood. He screamed as he bucked up in a last attempt to fling his brother off. "I do this because I love you." Another slam and Sasuke could've sworn his head went straight through the wall or maybe he just blacked out.

**000**

He awoke to nothing. He felt numb and pain free and tightly bandaged. Sitting by his bedside on a soft looking chair from downstairs was his mother whose eyes were red and puffy. Sasuke realized that she was still crying, the tears trailed slowly down her face. She was trying to read a book. He wiggled his fingers and tried to lift his arm to wipe her tears away but he couldn't move. He groaned with the effort. "Sasuke!" She was by his side in an instant. He tried to greet her with a smile but judging by the tears welling up in her eyes again he must have failed. He wondered what happened. He tried to remember but his head throbbed with the effort. Suddenly all the memories rushed forward and he groaned again. "Here sweetheart." Somewhere out of sight she took up a small measuring cup before she eased him into a semi upright position and gently eased the spout into his mouth and tipped the cool liquid into his mouth. His tongue felt too full in his mouth but his throat was so dry he swallowed up as much as he could of the weird tasting thing but it was so cool he didn't care. His mother gently laid him down again and smiled at him, tears gleaming in her eyes. "Close your eyes sweetie." She cooed. "I'll be here when you wake." Sasuke obeyed.

**000**

The next time he awoke and he was distinctly in pain in a dark room. He groaned and turned on his side. Everywhere hurt but especially his head. It throbbed horribly. He pushed himself up as he looked around for anything representing liquid he could drink. Spotting none he struggled to get his feet over the edge of the bed. He was just pushing himself to stand up when his door swung open and he froze, terrified it was his brother again but instead he saw the concerned face of his mother. He long hair was impeccable as always an apron hanging from her shoulders. She was holding a tray of things that smelled so good it made Sasuke's stomach grumbled. "What are you doing?" She scolded as she hurried over. She set the tray down on his study desk before she turned to him, hands on hips, "back into that bed young man."

He smiled at her. "I'm fine mother. It's not as bad as it seems." She didn't buy it. Instead, she marched over and tucked him back into bed herself. She pulled her chair close to the bed and placed the tray in her lap. "Mother…"

"He told me." She responded as she peeled an orange. She didn't look at Sasuke but there was no judgment on her face, her attention solely on the task at hand and Sasuke flushed.

"I had meant to tell you." He murmured as he fidgeted with the sheets. He shouldn't fidget he knew but his mother wouldn't scold him for just that. "I was going to but Itachi caught me first…" he stared down at his hand. He just noticed that his whole body was tightly wrapped in bandages. He touched his head and noticed that it was wrapped too. "Thank you for tending to me. I appreciate your help mother."

She sighed and set the orange and blade down. "You don't need to thank me. I'm your mother." She was always flexible with the ways of the clan. Sasuke wondered if Itachi blamed her for how he turned out. "I've been protesting the ways of this clan for years. Nothing has changed. 'Tradition is tradition Mikoto!' Bah!" She mocked. She looked over at her son with so much sorrow that he had to look away. "I wish you had told me. You're gay Sasuke. Not the plague."

"Gay…" he echoed out loud. That was the word for it but nobody said it. She nodded. Sasuke didn't even say it. As if not saying it out loud would somehow make it not a reality.

"It's just how you are my son. If I had picked up on it sooner I would have protected you from your brother. Even he doesn't defy his parents. Three cloaks or not." Sasuke doubted it. Women weren't allowed duties outside the clan walls and Sasuke was an up and coming male child. He was hardly ever in the community. If Itachi couldn't beat the gay out of him at home then he'd do it somewhere else. He appreciates her sentiments though. He almost laughed out loud at the thought of their mother trying to discipline Itachi, the next clan head. "Sasuke," she laid her hand over his. "There is nothing wrong with you." She repeatedly seriously. "These people are just all stupid." Sasuke laughed out loud for that. If he didn't laugh he felt like he'd cry. Now he really wished that he'd spoken to his mother first.

"Yes mother," he agreed, "but what exactly did Itachi tell you?"

She waved off the question and picked up the orange again, she quickly finished it and cut it in half then handed it to her son. "Rubbish. He told me rubbish." She gave him a stern look. "Whatever he told you, do not take it to heart my son. You are just as you were meant to be," she leaned over and cupped his cheek, he leaned into the touch. He didn't know what it meant to have a destiny already planned out for someone. If this was Sasuke's then he hated whoever designed it.

"I suppose so mother… but I need to know what he told you," she ran her hand through his hair and tucked some hair behind his ear.

She hummed, "he said you were seduced by a stranger in the forest and that he filled your head with cotton so he had to remove it." She had a dark look on her face and Sasuke remembered that she had a pretty dark mind too. "Like I said. Pay him no mind. If you meet strangers and they are kind to you feel free to talk to them." She humphed and went to cutting his sandwich into two halves. "Here you go. I have some more painkillers for you too. Take it when you finish the orange." She dropped two circular tablets into his palm. Sasuke finished the orange and swallowed down the pills with a cup of water. He munched on the sandwich as he looked out the window at the setting sun. He squinted at it.

"Mother… what time is it?"

She glanced at her wrist and felt her pockets before she realized she didn't have a watch and there was no clock in Sasuke's room. "If I had to guess I'd say it's almost 6 pm."

"In the afternoon?" she gave him a funny look and leaned over to feel his forehead.

"Are you okay sweetie?"

"I can't believe I slept the whole day…" he muttered. Naruto was probably long gone by now. Sasuke wondered what were the chances of him surviving the journey to the spine himself. Most likely nil.

"Honey…" Mikoto said softly tilting her head, "you've been asleep for 3 days… I've kept you under while you recovered." He choked on his sandwich. Mikoto, the kind woman that he was and completely oblivious to his internal struggles, handed him another cup of water, "slowly Sasuke. What's wrong?"

"Mother I met a man." He said clearing his throat. He coughed again but held her gaze.

"I know sweetheart," she smiled kindly at him.

"And this man said he'd take me across the spine of the mountain," her smile promptly fell off but he continued on, if he stopped he feared he'd lose his nerve. He told her everything Naruto told her and when he was done she looked troubled and concerned.

"Sasuke you're too trusting. This man might be sick. He might be preying on you because you are young and willing to believe anything…"

"I know mother but I don't want this chance to pass me by. This may the only time I ever leave the clan. I don't want this opportunity to pass."

"But if you let him take you, you may never come back!" She protested. She shook her head. "No. No I'm sorry I won't allow this."

"Itachi will beat me again you know…"

"I'll bandage you up again."

"Mother…" he said softly. This time he held her gaze, "If I stay here I'll never truly live."

"But you may not come back!" she sounded desperate now, tears were welling up again. "No one truly knows what's on the other side of the spine. No one has ever come back!"

"I will mother. I promise to come back. And when I do it will be with a man who loves me…" she shook her head, she refused to accept that. "Maybe even with a family of my own…" he added softly and she looked up at him imploringly, begging him not to go. "I _have_ to go mother." He leaned over and hugged her tightly. "This will not be the last time you hold me mother…"

"But… he may already be gone… will you still go? You may not be able to make it on your own…"

"Either way I may die. I could die out there swiftly or here slowly and painfully." He touched the bandages on his head as proof. She broke down then, sobbing desperately on his shoulder.

"Fine. Fine okay. I'll let you go but if it gets too hard you come back! I don't care how long. I don't care how far. I don't care how many years. You find yourself back to me okay?"

He nodded as he smiled, "I will mother. I should start packing-"

"I'll do it. You rest some more then leave first light." She set her tray aside and leaned over to kiss him on the forehead. "Sleep." She pursed her lips tightly and Sasuke could tell she was trying to hold herself together. He nodded against her lips and closed his eyes. He didn't think he'd fall asleep so quickly but one minute his eyes were slipping close, his mother's face smiling down at him and the next minute he was being shaken awake.

"Mother?" he asked, his eyes trying to adjust to the darkness.

"Sasuke wake up my darling…" Mikoto helped him into a sitting position as she pulled his bandages off and then pulled his shirt over his head. He shivered in the coolness of the night but at least he wasn't so achy anymore. He groaned, pliant as she changed his close and helped him stand up. "Say ah." He opened his mouth and she popped another pill in, he felt like a child again, "drink," the press of a cup against his lips and he was shocked into alertness by the bitter taste of the pill. He scrunched his face up and gagged, "it's for the residual pain. You're resilient Sasuke. Never forget that." She smiled kindly at him as his cheeks darkened. She retrieved a heavy looking bag from the floor and handed it to him as she helped him get it onto his back.

She took a step back to assess him as he settled the heavy pack on his pack and tied his lance to the side of it. A thick blanket covering it up. Mikoto lit a lantern and handed it to him before she appraised him. "Are you sure you packed everything I would need." She chuckled at him and patted his cheek.

"Yes Sasuke. I packed you all the essential items that you'll need on your journey. As well as salt."

"Salt…?"

"Yes. You were never a very good cook but salt can do wonders." He chuckled as he pulled her into a hug and then just held her. It would be a long time before he saw her again.

"I best go…" he murmured pulling away.

She squeezed him tightly before she patted his back, "Oh! I have something for you," from her pocket she produced a simple necklace. A band of blue cloth and hanging as a pendant was the Uchiha symbol, a circle of half red on top and half white on beneath that both outline in black and on a background of polished white. It shone faintly in the rising sun.

"Mother it's beautiful… when did you…?"

"Oh I've had it since you became a man. I was going to present it to you at the feast of your first slain dragon but… I may never have the chance again," her voice broke slightly but she held herself together. "May I?"

His chest swelled with pride. Smoothly he sank down on one knee and bowed before her, she stepped around him and gracefully lowered the band around before she fastened it around his neck. She tugged on his arm and turn him around to face her so she could admire it. She smiled proudly. "My brave boy…" she smiled again and Sasuke smiled too as he resisted the urge to reach up and fiddle with it. "Now go." She steered him towards the window to help him down. "Don't look back. Just run."

He took her advice to heart as he raced straight through the center of the clan and out of the compound and even when he was sure he wouldn't see the walls of his old home anymore he neither slowed down nor stopped.

He faltered on his way through the forest and then thought better of running straight through to where he left Naruto. So he took the wide way around, doubled back, crisscrossed and covered his tracks several times before he finally made one last arc to where the small stream was. He paced some ways up before he called softly, "Naruto…?" he glanced around for gold.

From a way off he heard a distant 'I'm here' and grinned he was so relieved to hear Naruto's voice that he might've danced for joy. He was so worried that he'd have to undertake this journey alone. He jumped across the stream and headed further into the forest before he came upon Naruto sitting cross legged before a small fire, his hands and face smeared with blood and the carcass of a buck lying beside him. "You're just in time for lunch," the blonde grinned at him around a mouthful of bloody fangs and meat. Sasuke was so happy to see him that he couldn't find it in himself to be disgusted that Naruto didn't cook the meat first.

"You waited." He said simply.

"Uchihas always keep their word right? I figured there might be something wrong." He looked up to the dark haired young man and sighed, a painful smile on his lips. "I suppose I was right…"

Sasuke cleared his throat before he went to join Naruto by the fire, he set his bag on the ground and shuffled close to the flame. He silently watched as the kindling cracked and broke apart in the heart of the flames. "I had a family issue I needed to deal with. I couldn't have sent you a sign even if I wanted to."

"What sort of family issue? If I may ask?"

Sasuke gave him a sharp look. "It's not important. What's important is that we need to go. I had duties today and once my brother finds out that I've abandoned them…" he shook his head at the thought. "My brother is no sloth when it comes to tracking. I did my best to at least delay him but we should go. Put as much distance between us and the clan. They won't hunt me forever."

Naruto nodded slowly and licked his fingers clean. "As you wish." He jerked his chin to the meat. "There are pieces we can save so we won't need to stop except to rest. Can you carve it up?" Sasuke nodded and Naruto headed back to the stream to wash off. While he was gone Sasuke made quick work with a sharp knife to skin the deer and separate meat from bones and then he fished around in his backpack and brought out a dried skin bag that he could put the slabs of meat in. He wondered if maybe he should keep the hide but thought better of it. There was nowhere to dry and tan it so it would be a waste of space.

Naruto came back just as he was finishing up and Sasuke was surprised to see he was completely dry even though he said he would be washing up in the river. He was undoubtedly clean though. Even the wound on his side looked better. The scab no longer had dirt and sticks in it either. The loincloth hanging around his waist was steaming. Sasuke looked at it curiously before he jerked away, realizing that he was in fact, looking at Naruto's private area. "W-what-" he cleared his throat, his cheeks felt warm, "what's wrong with that?" He waved his hand vaguely in Naruto's direction.

"Oh… I can control my own temperature. Make myself as warm as I want, but only for a while so I reserve my energy so it occurs mostly when I sleep. Since I'll be producing enough body heat for the both of us I probably shouldn't have wasted the energy now." Sasuke hummed as he nodded, this was all new and exciting information. "Well done with the deer." Sasuke flushed at the praise. "Do you have my clothes as well?"

He wanted to slap himself. He let his mother pack his bag and he'd completely forgotten to check if there was anything that would fit Naruto. Naruto was as tall and as thick as his elder brother. Thick legs and arms not to mention the scales that ran all along the side of his body. The blonde would probably need more than one set of clothes but Sasuke doubted there was even one pair that would fit him.

He rummaged through the neatly packed bag, the clothes were rolled into tight balls and packed stiffly together so while Sasuke took them out and placed them on the ground Naruto shook them out and tried them on, if he could, before he rolled the rejected ones back up. Just when Sasuke was feeling incredibly stupid for forgetting something so important Naruto yelled in triumph, "These fit perfectly!" Sasuke recognized the pants he was wearing. Sasuke had been given those as a gift from an old lady in the clan but she was so old and half blind that she made all the clothes the same size so Sasuke had been swimming in it. It would've been disrespectful to throw it away so his mother had told him to just keep it in his drawers and now it was proving handy.

While Sasuke piled the things back in his bag Naruto draped a shawl over his shoulder that dropped past his waist, hiding most of his wings. "I can rip the back of a shirt for you?" Sasuke suggested but Naruto shook his head. He stood tall and looked over his shoulder in the direction of Sasuke's clan a serious look of concentration on his perfectly handsome face. Sasuke marveled on the small scales on the side of his face, almost like facial hair but much more dangerous to the touch.

"There's no time." Dread welled up in Sasuke's chest and he tore his eyes away from Naruto's form and back to the task at hand. Hastily he packed the clothes back in as quickly as he could and before he could ask how far the men were from them Naruto grabbed the bag of meat and Sasuke bag in one arm and then Sasuke with the other. "We run." He said and took off into the trees.


	3. On A New Path

Sasuke wasn’t sure how long they were running but Naruto didn’t want to stop. He kept saying not yet, not yet and then they’d jump from tree to tree or on frequent occasions he’d tell Sasuke to cross to arms over his chest and then scoop him up and glide off. His powerful wings propelling them 20 steps ahead at a time. Sasuke would peek over the blonde’s shoulder and squint his eyes at the passing trees but there was no sign of their pursuers. Naruto may be hearing things from miles away.

When Sasuke honestly couldn’t run anymore he forced Naruto to stop, “I really can’t,” he panted trying to catch his breath. “I can’t take another step.” he legs shook with exhaustion as he bent over heaving in lungfuls of air. Naruto stood before him, tall and gracefully, his wings shifting behind him restlessly. He scanned the forest before he spotted a large hollow oak tree and helped Sasuke over to it.

The rain drizzled around them and even though they could both fit in the base of the tree if they squeezed really close together Naruto insisted Sasuke take a break inside instead. He felt horrible just leaving Naruto standing outside, guarding him while his eyelids drooped, but the minute he took his bag off and laid his head down on it he was out like a light.

When next he awoke it was to Naruto urging him to open his eyes. “What is it?” he asked groggily rubbing the back of his hand against his eyes.

“Whoever is leading the hunting party is still looking. There are fewer men now but they are still pursuing us. I let you sleep as long as I can but I can smell heavier rain approaching. We must go.” Naruto eyes shone a dark vivid blue in the early morning sun. Sasuke’s mouth felt full, dry and clammy but he decided not to comment on it and instead shuffle out of the root of the tree. 

As they ran Sasuke stayed as close to Naruto’s spiked tail as he dared but after seeing it smash into the back of a tree and gouge out bits of the wood Sasuke hung back a bit. Naruto’s wings were restless on his back. They constantly flustered but every now and then they would spread wide and break every branch in Naruto’s path. Sasuke frowned and stopped to look back.

He sucked his teeth as he turned fully to face the obvious path of destruction Naruto had left in his wake. Then of course whoever was hunting them was still hot on their trail, they may as well have lit a bonfire! “Why are you stopping? Are you hurt? Here let me carry you.” Naruto was reaching for him before he even got the last words out. Sasuke slapped his hand away and pointed at the wreckage Naruto left.

“Look what you’ve done!” He hissed lowly. “It’s no wonder they’re still on our trail! How are you not dead? It’s so easy to track you!”

Naruto blinked and sheepishly looked down and kicked a broken branch resting by his feet, “I’m not usually on the ground. The trees are so close together the urge to fly is quite strong.” He touched his side gently where there was a dark scar but it was fading. He felt bad for talking to Naruto so harshly.

“Listen, we need to control your wings and tail okay?” Naruto nodded awaiting instructions. “I have a scarf, we’ll wrap it around your chest to bind your wings together.” Naruto looked uncomfortable at the idea, “but not too tight! Just enough that they don’t break anything else. And while we run you have to hold your tail in your hands. It’s destroying the forest too. Okay?” Naruto nodded slowly and without waiting for the go ahead Sasuke pulled the scarf from the side of the bag and gently looped it under Naruto’s arms and pulled it as tightly as he could without causing the dragon unnecessary discomfort. As he tied the bow in the front across Naruto’s chest Sasuke became acutely aware of how close they were standing. How warm the dragon was. How wide his chest was. Sasuke wanted to drag his hand down the front of Naruto’s body just to feel all the muscles there but instead he quickly tied the scarf into a secure knot and stepped away.

His cheeks felt heated through and he cursed himself for being so transparent in his emotions. Naruto thanked him and smiled kindly at him. The dragon had said before that people’s emotions were just like facial expressions to him, Sasuke wondered what he smelled like to the dragon now. Probably aroused and embarrassed. Maybe a little shame too.

Naruto didn’t comment on it though, just smiled at him like a normal person would smile at another normal person. It was a smile that Sasuke didn’t like. It wasn’t how he wanted Naruto to look at him. It reminded him of the type of smile a grandparent gives their grandchild. He cleared his throat as Naruto picked up his tail and groomed himself, plucking the splinters from the root of the spikes on his tail as well as dusting off the spikes themselves. Sasuke couldn’t quite tell what colour they were, if they were actually a coppery brown or ivory stained with dirt.

Naruto grinned at him when he caught him staring, “I cannot tell when last I’ve properly cleaned myself. I can feel all the dirt piled up under my scales.” He tossed his head back in a good natured laugh that had Sasuke’s heart all tripping over itself. He mentally scolded himself and tried to settle down. Naruto tilted his nose skyward and sniffed at the air. “We should start moving to find shelter and food for at least two days. Wait out the rains.”

“Be careful this time” Sasuke insisted. If it was his brother leading the hunting party, and he surely hoped not, then while they hid from the storm Itachi would surely be following them before the winds and rains completely washed their tracks away. Naruto nodded and smiled apologetically at him before he started off again. They were steadily heading deeper into the mountains. Soon they’d be out of the Uchiha clan territory and Sasuke sincerely hoped that whosoever was coming for him would be hesitant to cross the territory lines.

Along the way Sasuke would instruct Naruto where not to step and which branches to duck under instead of swatting aside with his inhuman strength so as to prevent anything breaking or leaving prints on the ground. Using his fire was also a big no. Sasuke noticed later on, when he was really hungry, that Naruto had claws. He was sure he saw Naruto with human fingers when they first met. “Ahh yes. My claws are rather handy, much more useful than human fingers with flimsy nails that can’t do much ripping.” Sasuke rolled his eyes. “Oh Sasuke, there’s so much you don’t know,” Naruto had so much pity in his voice that even Sasuke started to feel sorry for himself.

“Oh well sorry I’m so ignorant!” He snapped. It wasn’t his fault he didn’t know these things. Apparently he’d been living a very sheltered life up until now.

“Do not get upset boy,” Naruto stopped to look at him, that same gentle paternal look in his eyes and Sasuke hated it. It made him even angrier than being called boy. “I just wish that you had been born somewhere else. We could have been great friends perhaps.”

“I thought you hated humans,” Sasuke could hardly keep the bite out of his voice.

Naruto shook his head though his hair swaying as he did, slowly he started to walk again Sasuke followed, “humans are… fleeting.” He said quietly. “Your lives are short and you never truly do what you want to do, or accomplish all that you set out to do. It is a rush to complete even one dream and then just as you live, you die and then you are forgotten…” Naruto sounded so honestly sad for his species. He was put off that Naruto thought of their lives like that but Sasuke felt that he was already living a life most people only ever dreamed off. He doubted that very many people tangled with the other side of magic as he was doing now. If he’d known that conversing with a dragon was even possible then he’d have set out to do it a long time ago. Then again how could he know, all his life he’d been told no he couldn’t do this or not that didn’t exist. He’d expected to live and die without fully enjoying his life but then suddenly there was fire and gold in his life and his world had never been brighter.

Glancing at Naruto from the side of his eyes Sasuke’s heart was back to doing flips and he found it ever so slightly harder to breath. Naruto looked at him curiously but before he could stutter out an excuse his stomach growled loudly. Naruto frowned down at his belly, “we do not have the time to stop for food. We need a place to stay for a while.”

“We’ll cross the territory line soon then you can do that fluttering this you do with me?” Naruto raised a brow, “you know, the one where you pick me up,” he flushed. He still wasn’t used to being that close to the blonde but he relished it anyhow.

“Let us make haste then,” Naruto snatches Sasuke’s wrist and runs off into the forest dragging Sasuke squawking and spluttering behind him. Once they crossed the Uchiha borders Sasuke begins to breath a little easier. It felt like a weight was lifting off his shoulder. It wasn’t completely gone but there was a layer of it that was there that wasn’t there anymore. He fiddled with the pendant’s emblem around his neck and smiled to himself. His mother’s smiling face gazing at him and her voice telling him how proud she was of him. 

“Sasuke?” Naruto questioned seeing him smile for no reason. Sasuke’s cheeks exploded with colour and he turned away as he straightened his bag on his shoulders and adjusted his lance.

“It’s nothing. I’m going to look for somewhere for us to hide away. You go hunt some food. Remember to not let your tracks be completely obvious. Just, I don’t know, scent the air for me and come to me when you find something alright?” Sasuke rattled off and before Naruto could agree he hurried off to find them a cave or a dead tree or something they could both fit in.

It was two hours before Sasuke found a cave nestled in the side of a hill. It was so mossy and shrouded by creepers that if Sasuke hadn’t been paying attention he wouldn’t have seen it at all. The mouth was narrow but Sasuke was certain that even Naruto could crawl in without the fear of scraping himself up. He shuffled through the entrance of the cave, pulling his backpack along beside him and was pleasantly surprised to find that the inside was wider than the mouth.

There was moss and dirt and leaves all over the inside of the cave but it was short, they wouldn’t need to worry if there was something else in the darkness of the cave, or at least he wouldn’t worry since Naruto could probably smell if there was something else.

Sasuke unbound his lance and placed the blanket that covered it on the ground and sat on it while he emptied his bag. He wasn’t sure how Naruto’s clothes were holding up so he needed to make sure there were other things the dragon could wear while on their journey.

Very neatly Sasuke emptied his bag and unraveled each article of clothing to put them into their proper piles. Shirts in one pile, pants in another pile, underwear in a separate pile and extra items like gloves and scarves and hats in another. Sasuke also unpacked a small container from the bottom of the bag that had an assortment of spices and in a little baggy was alcohol and several bandages and a bottle of the leather cleaner he kept in the desk drawer back in his room. He turned the bottle back and forth in his hand wondering why his mother would pack that for him when he wouldn’t be cleaning any scuff marks on their journey.

Though he supposed that he would want to look his best for his first meeting with a new type of people. Though he wasn’t quite sure where he was going anymore. He wanted to stay by Naruto’s side. Learn more about what he was, who he was as a person, what sort of things he liked to eat or perhaps what type of person he saw himself with romantically. Sasuke didn’t think he could change himself to meet Naruto’s desire but maybe he could show Naruto the good parts of himself too. 

“Oh! This is very nice Sasuke!” Sasuke almost jumped out of his skin. He hadn’t heard Naruto crawling into the cave at all. He flushed at the compliment one he was over his initial shock.

“It’s a bit narrow in the entrance though isn’t it?” 

Naruto shrugged and dragged several fluffy rabbit carcasses into the cave. “Most of the other animals scattered immediately when they smelled me. The bunny burrows don’t go down too far so I was able to fish a few of them out.”

“Oh yes. I thought you would sneak up behind a behemoth, take it down and bring it here,” Sasuke chuckled.

“Well I am the most dangerous predator in this forest. Nothing would dare approach or be approached by me.” He winked at Sasuke, “except foolish boys like yourself.” Sasuke was sure that was an insult but his mind was filled with Naruto smirk and playful eyes. He willed his body to calm down. He turned around and began folding and packing away his clothes instead when he heard shuffling behind him and felt Naruto brush up against his arm.

He plucked the bottle of polish from on top of a glove that Sasuke was considering putting near the top of his bag so he had easy access to it when he needed it. Naruto had claws for nails so he had no need for gloves or at least he couldn’t wear gloves since he’d need to use his hand. Naruto sniffed the bottle and raised a brow at him. “You are a well prepared young man aren’t you?”

Sasuke cocked his head to the side. “My mother was the one who packed my bags truth be told. I was otherwise… engaged.” Naruto opened his mouth to ask what had kept him but Sasuke waved the question off. “The point is that my mother packed what she thought was essential. Including the spices i’ll be putting on the rabbits.”

Naruto chuckled, “what do your people use this for?” he asked twirling the small bottle between his fingers. 

“Oh well we use it for all sorts of things. Some girls mash berries and add some of it to it to brighten their lips. We polish leather with it, to get rid of scuff marks, it’s good for dandruffs and lice,” Sasuke hummed as he thought, “my mother used it to style my hair for official ceremonies. It’s really smooth. Here,” Sasuke took the bottle and squeezed a bit of the viscous liquid into his palm and then massaged it into his hair and then began to style his hair, the back sticking up a bit and the front of his hair down in a bang that parted to the sides framing his face. “See?” he said, wiping his wet hands on his pants. Naruto nodded and smiled at him, a gleam in his eyes that Sasuke couldn’t place. “Do you… want me to do your hair too?” He just wanted to run his fingers through Naruto’s soft looking hair. Or maybe it looked soft but it was really coarse and unmanageable. 

Naruto laughed, “no that is alright. Let us eat.” While Naruto ripped the fur from his rabbits in long clean strips Sasuke was more meticulous with his blade and when they were both done Sasuke massaged his spices into his own rabbit, Naruto politely declined to have them on his, already tearing into his food blood and all. Just as he had said days prior.

Sasuke listened as the rain started to pick up outside and realised that he didn’t have any wood to make a fire and roast his rabbits and he was so hungry too. He glared at the well prepared meat and sighed. Naruto on the other hand was happily snacking away, gnawing on a rabbit leg with blood draining down the side of his mouth. Sasuke’s stomach lurched. “Is something the matter?” Naruto asked quietly.

He refused to let his pride take over, “I… don’t have any way to cook my food. All the sticks outside are probably soaked by now.” He poked the rabbit with his knife.

“Oh I’ll take care of that for?”

Sasuke smiled at him, “you’ll hunt sticks for me?”

Naruto laughed and leaned over to take his rabbit, “no no, I’ll roast it with my flames.” Just as when they first met Naruto inhaled deeply, his chest swelling and then he blew it all out on his hand, the flames so intense it had Sasuke yelping and jumping away. Naruto cute the first off abruptly. “Sasuke!” Naruto yelled and hurried over to him. “I am so sorry. I… I didn’t mean to hurt you…”

“No it’s okay! It’s just… that caught me off guard.” Sasuke reached for his water bottle and took a shaky sip. Naruto’s fire was equally as terrifying up close as it was from a distance. 

“I’m sorry,” the dragon murmured as he looked away.

“Don’t be!” Sasuke said fiercely as he laid a hand on Naruto’s shoulder but the dragon gently eased away and went to the front of the cave. There he resumed roasting the meat and then brought Sasuke back the finished product. One side was charred and crispy but it was still edible, “thank you Naruto.”

The blonde nodded before he retreated to one side of the cave, no longer eating as enthusiastically as before and Sasuke sighed as Naruto added brick to the wall between them. As soon as he thought that he and Naruto were closer to the top of the seemingly insurmountable wall between them then something like that happens. He wanted to scream in frustration. “How long will it take from here to the spine and over it?”

“Oh about…” Naruto thought for a minute, “Perhaps 52 days by foot. Less if I can successfully carry you.”

“The gliding?” Sasuke asked. He would prefer not to be carried all the way to his new life plus he wanted to spend as much time getting to know Naruto as he could. If Naruto carried him the entire time then he would be too flustered to formulate complete sentences.

“Yes and I have another way. Thought I am afraid that I am a bit out of practice.” Naruto smiled sheepishly at him and Sasuke found himself smiling back. He bit into his rabbit and winced at the charred blackness of it. He didn’t complain though. Naruto was already beating himself up about burning it in the first place.

“What is this other way?”

“Well… I’ll need a few days to gather my strength first and really… I have never flown with another person before.” Naruto paused, “Do you think it is possible to fall to my death, my apologies,  _ our deaths,  _ if my transformation fails?” Naruto’s innocently asked question made him extremely uncomfortable.

“Transformation?” 

“Yes, well, I have the potential to transform into a complete dragon.” His eyes sparkled with delight, “It’s quite an out of body experience!”

Sasuke nodded, “Okay, yes, I understand that.” Lightening cracked outside and Sasuke jumped, “Uhmm yes. So about the plummeting to our deaths? Can you elaborate?”

Naruto’s wings shuffled behind him as he chuckled. “To be honest I’m quite lousy at transformation. My exceptional healing capabilities have protected me from death quite a number of times.” At this point Sasuke would like to point out that unlike whatever mystical beast Naruto was, Sasuke wasn’t and therefore he had no healing capabilities except the one that his human ancestors have given which, really, was the bare minimum of healing.

Sasuke decided not to voice his concerns. If his brother really was tracking them then he wanted to get as far away from the Uchiha and their territory as quickly as possible. “So what is this transformation?” He bit into his rabbit then took a sip of water.

“Well… I can transform into a full dragon!” Sasuke lowered the bottle as he stared at the blonde.

“So… what are you right now?” 

Naruto smiled softly at him, “I am a dragon, but I am also human.” 

“You turned into a dragon?!” Sasuke sat forward eager to hear more.

“No I was born like this.”

“What really? How? That’s amazing! I’ve never heard of anything like that before. How did it happen?”

“Well I’m not quite sure but my mother said that my father was a human man. She incubated me too long and he grew old and passed before I hatched.”

“Hatched…? But you said you’re half human?” Sasuke was overloading on information.

“Oh yes. I am more beast than human though but you and I are more alike than most other dragons.” 

Sasuke sat back heavily and set his food aside, this new information wasn’t processing in his mind. He’d seen the black dragon before and he couldn’t figure out where a human man could put any reproductive organs to reproduce. His face heated up just thinking about it. “I’m having a hard time putting a human and dragon together.” He said as Naruto gazed at him curiously wondering what his flush was for.

“Oh!” Naruto laughed loud and strong, exposing his long smooth neck that Sasuke wanted to plant kisses all over. He looked away. “Well my mother told me that my father was very brave and adventurous.” Naruto laughed again. “Like most female dragons my mother was a force to be reckoned with.” Sasuke took silent note that Naruto said ‘was’. That meant that both his mother and father were gone and he was alone. Just as Sasuke currently was. They had a lot more in common than Sasuke first thought.

“Are female dragons dangerous?”

“Yes. And they’re mean and greedy and temperamental and all around dragons not to be interfered with. Which reminds me of why I mustn’t delay in getting you to your new home and me getting back to mine.”

Sasuke felt something his stomach twist. The way Naruto was talking made it seem like he had a fiance waiting for him back home. He kept his voice even and monotonous though, hoping to sound casual as he asked, “do you have a wife waiting for you back home?”

Naruto was quiet for a long time before he sighed. “No I do not have a wife. Dragons don’t marry.” And Sasuke felt elated for all of three seconds before Naruto continued, “but I have a mate and he is waiting for me to return.” Naruto may as well have punched him in the gut. The blonde grimaced. “Please do not smell so saddened.” Naruto shuffled over to him and pulled him into an uncomfortable one armed hug.

“I didn’t think it was so obvious that I fancied you.” Sasuke commented because why hide it? Obviously he had feelings for Naruto and the dragon could smell it. Denying it would just be childish.

“Yes… I know… however, alike as we may be we are still two very different creatures and it’d be best if you know now than have false hope.”

Well at least he hadn’t been called boy and he wasn’t being coddled. Just the way he liked it. Carefully he removed Naruto’s hand from his shoulder and shrugged. “Well… a man can dream can’t he?” He gave Naruto a smile because it wasn’t Naruto who asked Sasuke to see him in a special light and Sasuke shouldn’t treat him any differently just because he was rejected. His rejection hadn’t quite sunk in either. Naruto heaved a heavy sigh of relief and dazzled Sasuke with a smile that had his heart stuttering in his chest. 

Naruto’s smile abruptly froze and then disappeared altogether as he turned to the entrance of their cave. “Your clansmen are at the border. The leader wishes to cross it and search for you some more.” Now Sasuke heart was stuttering and for a whole other reason.

“What are the others saying? Can you tell me names? Can you hear who’s leading them?”

Naruto’s brows drew together as he concentrated over the growing intensity of the storm outside. “There’s a fight. The leader won’t back down and they attacked him. Four men including… Itachi? I think the leader’s name is Itachi.” Naruto’s eyebrows lifted and Sasuke scooted closer to him waiting to be told what he was hearing. “He is screaming for you now. He says he will not lose you.” Naruto cocked his head to the side and said, “he is not your mate.”

Naruto wasn’t asking but Sasuke wanted to clarify anyways, “Oh no he’s my-”

“He’s dangerous.”

Sasuke blinked. Stunned at the admission but then he laughed nervously. “Oh no… Itachi is just passionate. He means well.”

Naruto rounded on him so fast Sasuke pulled back out of habitual fear. Naruto’s blue eyes were stormy and dark and cold. “Sasuke. That man, Itachi, he is dangerous. From one predator to another, I can tell.”

Sasuke gaped at him, his mouth opening and closing as he tried to defend his brother. Naruto was a stranger! What did he know! He probably didn’t understand brotherly love since he was an orphan. “No, Naruto listen to me. He’s my brother. He’s the next clan head. He’s passionate. He loves us all.”

Naruto stared at him for longer than he felt comfortable with and then sighed heavily. “You truly believe that don’t you?” Why did Naruto sound so sad for him?

Sasuke sucked his teeth and shifted to properly face the dragon, “I don’t know how it is with dragon people but humans are very close to each other and so my entire family is like that.”

Naruto leaned forward and used a clawed nail to tap Sasuke’s Uchiha pendant. “Whoever gave this to you, is a family member who loves you. Even now I can smell the tears of joy and sorrow and hope etched into every stitch. The love that went into making this pendant has moved my own heart, and it was not meant for me.” Naruto fixed him with a dark look then and cupped his cheek, his claws pinching Sasuke’s skin. “The man out there who screams your name with fury and promises of swift and harsh discipline… is not a man you should call family. Tell me Sasuke,” Naruto tilted his head and tilted Sasuke’s with his. The dark haired young man tried to pull away but Naruto’s grip was firm and strong. “If this ‘Itachi’ Uchiha were to crawl through the mouth of this cave right now…” against his will his eyes darted to the mouth of the cave and then back to stormy blue eyes. 

Naruto’s ominous expression mixed with his fear of Itachi actually crawling to get to him had his breath coming in short quick gasps. Naruto must be able to tell he was frightening him but still he went on. Word for word instilling fear into Sasuke’s heart, the youth licked his lips nervously. “Why are you-?”

“Tell me. What would he do first?” Naruto’s voice went low, just barely above a whisper. “Would he cry for joy at having found his brother?” In all of Sasuke’s 21 years on earth he had never seen his brother cry. “Or would he crack your skull on this stone wall?” Naruto looked to the wall and so did Sasuke. It horrified him to clearly see Itachi bashing his skull in.

“Naruto that’s enough.”

“I wouldn’t interfere you know.” Sasuke's eyes widened. “It wouldn’t be my place of course. That is the dragon’s way. But I assure you, I will impart upon him a faith worst than death if he so much as lays a hand upon you again.”

And with that Naruto let him go, wrapped him in a blanket and laid Sasuke’s head down on his backpack. He was too frozen to speak. He couldn’t utter a word. So he stayed silent, waiting, for when the old Naruto would come back.

Naruto sat closer to the mouth of the cave and just stared out in the blackness splashed with streaks of blinding white lightning. Sasuke chanced a look at him to see him staring intently into the darkness and Sasuke wondered if Naruto was listening to his brother arguing with his hunting party which, to be honest, was very much unlike his brother. Sasuke wanted to tell Naruto not to worry about him and that he could handle his brother but that would be a lie. Proof lay in the still healing wounds all over Sasuke’s body. If Naruto could smell the care his mother had put into the necklace she wove then certainly he could smell the fury Itachi had put behind each blow.

He tried to speak again but all the words died in his throat. Naruto’s out of character behaviour worried him and he didn’t know how to address it. He wondered briefly if he should fear for his life in Naruto’s company but his thoughts flashed back to days prior in his room and he shuddered. He’d rather be with Naruto and all his mood than face his brother.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I touched on Sasuke and Itachi's relationship from the viewpoint of another person and of course Sasuke was less than pleased to hear someone badmouth his brother who he cares so much about. He can admit that he fears his brother but that's all he'd ever admit to since he feels strongly that his brother does love him.
> 
> In other news there is a hurricane coming, a category 4 hurricane named Matthew. If you're within the danger zone like I am I hope you'll stock up on essentials and stay safe and in touch with family and friends.


	4. More Precious Than Gold

**AN:** My first series fic is now complete. As it was drawing to a close I wanted to focus on it for the time being. Now that it's done and I've finished my Christmas fic I can focus all my attention on this now. Thank you so much for your patience.

  
Happy New Year everyone!

* * *

**More Precious Than Gold**

* * *

"Sasuke wake up," Naruto shook him gently and Sasuke muttered turning away and trying to bat the hands away from his face. Naruto laughed softly by his ear and tightened the arm around him. "Sasuke open you eyes."

"Just a few more minutes…" Sasuke groaned, "I still hear the rain outside."

"Yes, but your brother will be here shortly." Sasuke's eyes flew open as he flailed but Naruto had him wrapped up tightly in his blankets and pressed against his chest. His cheeks darkened as he stilled.

"Why am I in your arms…?" He asked.

"So that you don't try to run away of course." Naruto whispered, his breath tickling the shell of Sasuke's ear.

"Why would I do that? I trust you. You weren't… molesting me in my sleep were you?"

Naruto laughed rich and deep and Sasuke had to stop himself from swooning when he felt Naruto shake behind him. "No I would never touch you," Sasuke pursed his lips and rolled his eyes, yes yes Naruto had made that clear, "but that's not why I bundled you up. Your brother will be here in a few moments."

"What? Are you serious? Then what are we doing here? We need to go!" He tried to break free from Naruto's grip but Naruto was unmovable.

"There was nowhere to run and no one to hold your brother back."

"You're a dragon! There's plenty of places to run!"

"Not in the dark." Naruto shook his head, "There's a reason we brightly coloured dragons don't hunt at night. Our scales give off their own glow. It is something that can be controlled but I am terrible at controlling my body's magic." Naruto laughed softly meanwhile Sasuke's heart was racing. If his brother crawled through the entrance of that cave and saw him sitting in the arms of a man. A dragon man. Then he was sure Itachi would kill Naruto and beat him to death.

"Then what do we do? Sit here and wait to die? Itachi will be furious! Where are his men?"

"Hmm from what I could hear there was a fight of some sort. They overpowered him and knocked him unconscious and tried to bring him back but now he's back and on his own. He was quite ire to have lost the trail but he found it again." Naruto shook his head. "That man is skilled." Meanwhile Naruto was proud of Itachi's tracking capabilities Sasuke was trying to keep the rabbits down.

"Oh I think I'm going to be sick. Itachi will be mad, he'll be so mad…" Naruto tightened his arms around him and then and then wrapped his wings around them, cocooning Sasuke was his warmth.

"Breathe my young friend," he murmured soothingly and miraculously Sasuke could breath a little better.

"Please help me. I don't want to go home just yet…" he whispered harshly, he felt the need to, "Please just this once. Don't kill him, he's my brother, I love him so much but I- I just want a little more time with you please. I want to-" Naruto started to rock him gently, his chest rumbled with a purr.

"Breathe Sasuke…" he whispered. Sasuke stared ahead at the wings, thick and leathery, and counted in his mind, _one, two three,_ as he calmed down.

"I'm okay now. Sorry…"

"Don't apologise," Naruto unfurled his wings and pointed to the center of the cave where there was a small heartless fire. Burning there on the stone.

"Is this your magic? Fire without wood?"

Naruto chuckled, "partly. Sasuke you must promise me to be quiet do you understand?"

"...why?"

"I had not meant to but I watched you sleep. You look so peaceful. So beautiful. I fly beneath the sun all day, my people all have skin as dark as my own, but never before had I seen a diamond complexion as yours. I was entranced." Sasuke flushed and stuttered. He shifted in Naruto's arms wanting to fan the heat from his face.

"W-what are you talking about all of a sudden?" he stuttered, laughing and coughing and clearing his throat.

"It may be selfish of me, it's against my ways to interfere in matters that do not concern me but I wish to keep you by my side." If Naruto was hoping Sasuke was falling out of love with him then he was doing a poor poor job. Did Naruto even realise the effects he was having on Sasuke's heart?

"So… what does that mean…? You'll help…?"

"Yes. I'll protect you with all the magic available to me. Itachi will not take you from me. For now, you are my most precious treasure." Naruto said it so tenderly that Sasuke's whole being shuddered.

"Naruto…"

"Dragons are very possessive creatures Sasuke. What is mine is mine."

"That's the most romantic thing anyone has ever said to me…"

Naruto smiled and rocked them gently. "Do you promise to be quiet? You'll disrupt the magic if you speak." Sasuke nodded.

"I'll be quiet, what exactly will you be doing to him?"

"Nothing. The flames will show him what he wishes to see and set him on the path opposite our own. The effects will wear off in a matter of hours. Days if we're lucky."

"Will you see what he sees?"

"Yes."

"I want to see it too."

Naruto grimaced, "I do not know what his intentions for you are, I would prefer-"

"I want to see. So when I go home I'll know what I'm up against. Please."

Grumbling came from the entrance of the cave and the sound of shuffling as someone climbed in. Sasuke held his breath and gripped his pants as his brother's dark head came into view. He opened his mouth but Naruto's claws pressed firmly against his lips.

"Trust me," Naruto whispered in his ear and Sasuke nodded. Itachi was right there. Setting down his spear and setting aside his weapons belt, his hunting bag and kicking off his hunting shoes. The back of the cave was cast in shadows yes but it was a wide area. Sasuke didn't understand the mechanics of magic but it seemed to be a wonderful thing if Itachi couldn't see them. It made him wonder why Naruto didn't just cover them before while they were running away. There would be no tracks to follow and Itachi would only have to rely on what he said earlier to even hope to find them.

Itachi sighed and pushed his wet hair out of his face before he shuffled over to the flame and sat down next to it to warm himself. They were facing each other now, Sasuke was looking straight at his brother's face. His face was as passive as ever but he somehow looked angry. There was a scratch on his cheek and a swell on his head, probably from when the other clansmen knocked him unconscious.

He worked the kinks in his neck before he pulled out a map and a marker and started jotting down, perhaps the route that he had taken and the possible destination of his prey. Sasuke shuddered at the thought but the feel of Naruto behind him and his strong arms around Sasuke gave him comfort and strength. So far it didn't seem strange to Itachi to stumble upon a fire already lit and that was burning on solid stone.

After he finished drying and setting his gear up he sat, his posture as impeccable as always, and slipped his eyes closed. When he opened them again his shoulders had sagged and he was calm again. He gazed ahead and Sasuke could swear he was looking right at him but he shifted and looked down, into the flames and he didn't move again. He just stared at it. He wanted to ask Naruto if Itachi was seeing what he desired but if he spoke he would disturb the magic.

He nudged Naruto with his elbow and kept doing it until Naruto grunted and bit his ear. He almost squealed. Almost. "Be still. I need to concentrate." Naruto grumbled when he released Sasuke's ear and Sasuke could still feel it. His ear felt hot and throbbing and at the moment that wasn't the only thing that was throbbing. He shifted, trying to get his pants in a more comfortable position but Naruto muttered and he really didn't want to get bit again so he sat still and waited for it to be over.

Waiting was the most boring thing. He'd only napped earlier but now he was nodding off again. It had been hours. Trying to stave off his boredom his wiggled until his hands were free and shuffled away just a bit do he could tilt his body, just enough with Naruto's arm supporting him, so he could look at the dragon's face. His eyes were closed and his face looked serene and calm. As if he were sleeping.

Just out of curiosity he ran his hands down the side of Naruto's face. The blonde prodded his side probably warning him to be careful but Sasuke ignored him. He touched the blonde's neck, his arms, his sides and noticed that Naruto's scales only went in one direction: down. He stroked over the scales in a downward motion and was delighted when he neither felt a prick nor a scrape. Naruto prodded him again and this time when he looked up Naruto's eyes were a vivid red and his pupils were slits.

Sasuke's eyes widened at the sight, he prefered the blue but the red was attractive too. He doubted there was anything Naruto could do that wouldn't be attractive. So far Sasuke hadn't seen anything that would prove otherwise.

Naruto was probably uncomfortable with him touching him all over like that without his permission but since he was in a trance at the moment what better time would he have to do it. He shrugged apologetically and averted his gaze his palm still pressed flat against Naruto's thick muscular chest. He had no plans to move it either unless Naruto verbally told him so. Naruto grunted and he looked up against his will to see Naruto intently staring at him.

"Sasuke," Itachi muttered and Sasuke jolted. He'd almost forgotten that his brother was nearby. He looked over to see Itachi packing his bag and redressing. His eyes looked glassy and unfocused but it seemed as if he had a destination in mind. He muttered Sasuke's name once again and continuously as he got ready and left, out into the night.

They sat silently for a while longer before Naruto sighed, "Sasuke… what are you doing?" Naruto shook his head and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"I was seeing if there was a non dangerous way to approach your scales." Naruto gave him a dull look. "And your chest feels nice…" Sasuke looked away guilty before he unravelled himself from the blankets and crawled away. "Just because you say you have a mate that doesn't mean I'm not still attracted to you…"

"Yes I understand that but…" Naruto sighed again. "As a man myself you must understand that…"

"I'm not trying to…" Sasuke blushed, "Have sex with you or something… I mean you know, your mate and all and monogamy and all…" Naruto sighed and rubbed his face before he stood and set Sasuke's blanket aside. He looked down and Sasuke followed his stare to see that Naruto had a thick bulge in his pants. "Oh…" now the dots were connecting. "You're hard too." Sasuke was feeling incredibly proud.

"You shouldn't be so happy about this." Naruto muttered moving toward Sasuke.

"I'm trying not to be but… maybe if you didn't have a mate we could…" well he wasn't quite ready to take the step to having sex yet but kisses would be nice.

Naruto shook his head and stepped forward, his eyes blue again as he stared at Sasuke his eyes drifting down to Sasuke's lip. Nervously he licked them and wondered, hoped, that Naruto would kiss him. All he had to do was tilt his head up and lean forward and their lips would touch. But he also admired the sanctity of marriage and he didn't want Naruto to cheat on his mate. If he were Naruto's mate he wouldn't want him cheating on him. Guilt gnawed at him.

"I'm sorry I shouldn't have. I wasn't thinking. Or rather I was thinking but I didn't care. I shouldn't have…"

"You are much too honest with your feelings…" Naruto gently chastised and Sasuke nodded. He'd spent so long being quiet and dishonest with himself that now that he was in a new place with a new person he wanted to be himself as much as he could be.

He wasn't quite sure what his true self was though.

Before he would have never tried to seduce a man. Nevertheless a married man.

"So… what do we do now?"

"I believe that we should sit and collect our thoughts." That sounded incredibly dull but Sasuke nodded anyways and went to wrap up in his blanket and wait for his erection to go away. A beat later and Naruto came to sit at his side, warming him considerably. "We need to find a middle ground Sasuke."

Sasuke bit his lip and nodded. "If I promise not to do what I just did can we move past it."

"It won't be that easy Sasuke. Your feelings for me are true. If I do not properly acknowledge them then I fear that it will create a rift in our relationship."

Sasuke's heart pounded in his chest. "How… what do you want to do…?"

"I must be truthful with you. My mate, is not my lifelong partner. He is my breeding partner. The food that I have been collecting is in preparation for my gestation period." Sasuke cocked his head to the side. "Carrying the eggs would have me too heavy to fly and my breeding partner will abandon me once his seeds take root." Sasuke cocked his head to the other side.

"I'm sorry what?" He blinked rapidly his eyes owlishly wide.

"What do you not understand."

"The gestation bit. You're a man… you're going to be pregnant…?!"

Naruto smiled, "yes."

"Wha-?!" Sasuke stuttered unable to form his rolling thoughts into words.

"I understand that only magical creatures several centuries old have the ability to adapt this way. Unfortunately humans do not have this concept so it may be odd and grotesque to you."

"No… nothing like that. Just… a little, I'm not." He turned to face Naruto and took one clawed hand into his hand. His heart was racing and it was hard to picture Naruto with a distended belly and waddling around but then he pictured Naruto beautiful children and he was suddenly jealous of this sperm donor. "I just don't quite understand the concept that's all. But I have lots to learn about magic right? You'll teach me right? I mean… who am I to judge?" He laughed nervously. Seeing Naruto look so self conscious then so relieved lifted Sasuke's heart.

"I have heard many things about humans Sasuke but even now I'm sure that you are a different breed than them all. Especially your brother." Naruto ran a clawed hand over his knuckles and he licked his lips.

"W-what does that mean for us? Is there an us now…?" He was trying not to sound too hopeful but by the sagging of Naruto's shoulder it didn't seem as easy as that.

"My mate, however temporary he is, is still my mate. In order for us to explore what this is between us I must first break my bonds with him. It would not be moral of me to form a bond with another when I am promised to him."

Sasuke's shoulders sagged. "Oh, yes of course." He would like to not be there when that conversation happened. "When will you do it?"

"My mate will flying high above the clouds. We need to get to higher grounds so that I can contact him with my magic."

"Oh… well that's easy. You can just fly up to him."

Naruto shook his head. "No. I am grounded for the time being. My magic has not worn off your brother yet, I cannot perform another magical task while I am still tethered to his mind."

"Oh. I see." He chewed on his lip and stared out to the cave. The rain was drizzling but as he glanced at Naruto softly looking at him he really just wanted to crawl into the man's arms and have his cuddle him. "Then we should go." He shrugged off his blanket, stood and went to wrap it around his spear.

"We still have time to wait. You can go back to sleep." Naruto interjected but he still got up. Sasuke was way too excited to fall asleep again besides the thought of his brother back tracking and finding them was rather unappealing.

"No I'm awake now so I want to get started."

Naruto nodded and after helping Sasuke pack his belongings and helping him to carry his backpack they set out into the dark night, the rain drizzling lightly around them. True to Naruto's words his scales glowed in the dark and made it a little easier for Sasuke to see where he was going. He still stumbled around though and cursed several times when he tripped on roots. "I don't see any branches dry enough to make a torch." Sasuke muttered.

"Do you want me to carry you?" Naruto gently suggested and Sasuke scoffed.

"No thank you." He was trying to start a relationship with the blonde not regress to stage one where Naruto treated him like a grandchild. He preferred to grit his teeth and bare it.

He breathed a sigh of relief when the sun finally peaked from above the mountain tops and he could actually see better. He was happy he was wearing closed toed shoes because there was mud caked all over the front of his shoes. He glanced at Naruto's feet and they were almost completely covered in mud. "Naruto your feet. Jeez, you should have told me to bring you shoes!"

Naruto looked down at his feet then down at Sasuke's. "The soles of my feet are very hard and calloused. I supposed our feet would be different. I have never worn shoes in my life."

"Oh wow. We're really strict with what each of us wear. Women aren't allowed to wear pants. Hunters wear hunting gear in dark colours. Tailors wear bright coloured clothes. Cooks wear full white." Sasuke shrugged, "stuff like that."

Naruto nodded. "Odd. And are all your people the same colour as you?"

"You said you liked how I looked!" Sasuke argued suddenly feeling aware of how he looked. He brushed at his hair angrily a flush on his cheeks. Naruto chuckled and smiled at him.

"I do like how you look Sasuke. It is just that your complexion is so fair I doubt you could survive on the mountain top."

"What's on the mountain top?" Sasuke asked squinting through the first rays of sunlight trying to look at the top of the mountain but there was just clouds.

Naruto looked off ahead in the same direction, "Oh I suppose a human like you wouldn't be able to see it. My home is heavily shrouded in magic so that only dragon kin can enter there and several magical beings we allow. Like the dwarves who provide us with food."

"What other sort of magical beings are there? Are there fairies and trolls and such."

"Oh yes. Trolls are such tricksters. They are such pests, they sneak in more often than they are allowed in. Fairies are guardians to all beings. Both magical and not. They favor the innocence of children the most."

"Do we have fairies?"

Naruto cocked his head to the side, "it is hard to say. While you are full of childlike wonder you have many impure thoughts don't you?" Naruto smiled easily at him but Sasuke flushed and looked steadfastly ahead. Naruto's body looked as if it were glowing in the sunlight. His smooth abdomen and thick arms and broad shoulder, Sasuke rolled his eyes. Who wouldn't have impure thoughts of a man like Naruto.

"I'm having impure thoughts right now. Put a shirt on you exhibitionist."

Naruto tossed his head back and laughed, the thick middle section of his tail bumping into Sasuke's thighs and propelling him forward. He stumbled as he tried to keep himself from falling. He glared at the blonde who was still laughing. "Ahh humans," he sighed and grinned at Sasuke.

"Okay so I don't get a fairy because I have impure thoughts?" Sasuke felt like he was in a magical class. Learning a bit at a time about the world just beyond his.

"Fairies are pure magical beings. No one really knows much about them. They are neither good nor evil nor do they interfere in anything. I know of a druid who tried to capture his own so he could learn about it but as soon as he saw one he died. Or at least I was told he died. No one knows where he is. Perhaps it was too pure to harvest."

"Oh… I see. What other magical creatures are there. Do dragons have enemies?"

Naruto frowned as his face darkened, "yes. The elves."

"Elves…? I've watched a few movies and elves are pretty cool."

Naruto nodded. "The elves I have come across are mean, self righteous and evil. Never trust an elf Sasuke. They claim to want the world at peace but they would sooner commit genocide than work at true peace. They believe the only perfect race is them. They are the true monsters. Wrapped in pretty silk clothing and green skin." Naruto stopped and glanced around.

"What is it?" he started to slip his backpack off. If it was Itachi then he needed to set his spear in his hands so he could properly run.

"Listen Sasuke. The forest, every green plant, is elven territory. We are still in the mortal world so to speak but when the flowers begin to sweeten we will have trespassed on their territory. If we are to encounter one you must not speak to it, for it will read your heart."

Sasuke shuffled nervously from foot to foot. "My heart? What do you mean…?"

"They will compel you to do acts you would never normally do." Naruto turned on him and cupped his hand to his jaw. Naruto's hands were rough but his palms were soft and warm. "You are strong Sasuke. You can overcome anything even if I am not there to help you."

As Naruto started to pull away Sasuke gripped his wrist. "You'll be here. We're crossing the mountain together. You owe me a life dept. Don't try to worm your way out of it."

Naruto smiled at him as he purred softly and that was something new that had Sasuke staring at Naruto's neck. "What is it?"

"A-are you purring?"

Naruto smiled at him, "yes, for I am contented."

"Huh… weird." Sasuke nodded. Well if Naruto could get pregnant then why couldn't he purr? That was logical. "Hey how old are you?"

"Old enough to be your great great great great-"

"Okay I get it." Sasuke pushed his hands away and started to walk again.

"Why do you ask?"

"Oh well… just you know," Sasuke shrugged.

"No I am afraid I do." The genuine concern in Naruto's face was endearing.

"It's just that… after you break your mating bond with your mate. I was wondering what we're going to do…? I mean yea I know we're going to give us a try but you don't know much about me and you're not even human."

"I'm half human."

"But more beast than human. Yes I know that. I just think that in order for us to get close as… more than travel companions. We should do companion like things… But nothing that would cross the line!"

Naruto cocked his head to the side. "I am not sure I follow."

"Well we can just do a basic background history. You'll teach me about magical folk and I'll teach you about contractions." Naruto's confusion was just too adorable. "You know like… what you just said was totally weird. 'Yes, for I am contented' not even my grandparents or village elders talk like that. It's weird. Plus we can do other stuff like hold hands and sleep next to each other."

"Why would I want to hold your hands?"

"Because it's romantic. Couples do it all the time. What do mated dragons do to show their affections?"

"Well we bring each other precious minerals and shiny objects. Pieces of gold and silver, chalices, crowns, jewels are best." Sasuke took note.

"I see and what about kisses and cuddles?"

Again Naruto looked confused. "I have kissed before but it is odd. What do I do with my tongue. It was purely experimental. I have yet to do it again." Well Sasuke had kissed before, girls but kisses were kisses, so maybe he could teach Naruto a thing or two about what to do with his tongue. He smirked at the thought.

"Well then we can do a human courtship. Hand holding, kissing, hugging… stuff like that." Sasuke flushed. "So if you don't kiss and stuff…" he stuttered over his words, his neck and ears colouring red. "Then what do you do when you mate…? Do you just put it in…?" Sasuke was fanning his face now. Wow, that had taken all of his courage to stutter out those few words. His breathing felt a little laboured too.

"Biting and licking."

"Oh… oh." He said, the thought of Naruto sinking his teeth into his shoulder was just too much. He had to take a stop and lean against a tree. He hadn't even realised how sweaty he'd gotten even though the air was so chilly. It was hard for him to breathe too and it had nothing to do with Naruto.

"Sasuke?" Naruto stooped by the tree and looked up at him.

"Sorry I just can't seem to catch my breath. Could you give me a minute to rest?" Naruto nodded and helped Sasuke shrug his backpack off. The young man sat at the root of the tree and sipped from his bottle of water.

"This is where the humans start to turn back. The air here is too thin… I can shield you in magic but once I do that…"

"The spell on Itachi will break. Yea I get it. I'm fine, really, just need a minute."

"Very well-"

"Just say 'alright' like I would." Sasuke smiled as he took another swig of water.

Naruto took a moment, as if practising in his head then he said, "alright then."

Sasuke chuckled, "close enough." he congratulated. While Sasuke sat propped against the tree Naruto sat in a patch of sunlight, his wings splayed behind him as if he were gathering the rays of light. He looked quite serene and handsome. His tail was curled around his leg a long half circle drawn in the damp ground when he'd curled it around his leg.

"How do you feel Sasuke?" Naruto asked breaking the silence.

"I'm better. I just needed a moment to catch my breath. I'm fine." He got to his feet and brushed the dirt and sticks off. Naruto took the pack from him and slung it over a shoulder.

"I will, I'll," he corrected, "help you carry this from now on. It will only get harder and harder for you to breathe the higher we travel. I promise to find suitable places for you to rest during that time."

"You sound like a news reporter." Sasuke chuckled and he stretched and flexed. "You probably don't know what that is." Naruto shook his head and Sasuke smiled softly. He was smiling a lot today and it had only been a few hours into the new day. "Well don't worry about that. Let's go." The sooner they got high enough the sooner Naruto could break up with his mate and the sooner they could have an actual relationship.

Sasuke suspected that it wouldn't be so black and white though. Dragon politics were different. What if Naruto's mate was as possessive of Naruto as Naruto was of him. What if he didn't want to let him. Sasuke would like to confidently say he would fight for the blonde but he was just a human and there was no way he could win against a dragon. At least not without his clansmen.

He shook his head to clear his thoughts. He couldn't be negative. Naruto had feelings for him. He wasn't sure how far those feelings extended but they were there. Naruto was willing to give him a chance to sort through who he was and what he wanted to do. Who he wanted to become.

He was also very worried about what would happen once they reached across the mountain. Naruto had said he wanted to hurry home but if he broke things off with his breeding partner would he still need to go home? Where was home anyways? Would it be with Sasuke? Or would their relationship end as soon as Naruto was reunited with his people?

He gnawed on his lower lip and glanced at Naruto from the corner of his eye. Naruto was looking ahead, his skin glowing and his blue eyes seemed to shimmer and glow. As if they were actual pools of water. The dragon turned to him and smiled and Sasuke felt all warm inside. He could worry about all of that tomorrow. He inched closer to the blonde, wanting to at least walk side by side when Naruto's tail slapped into him and sent him staggering forward.

"Oh my apologies!" Naruto quickly caught him and righted him before he stepped back and widened the gap between them even more. Sasuke's shoulders sagged as he sighed. The questions he should be asking was how he and Naruto were going to get close as more than just companions if they couldn't even walk side by side…

* * *

**A/N:** The other fic I finished is called _The Village,_ a SasuNaru fic so if you want to give it a read go ahead~ Still no set update date for this fic but there will be more frequent updates I promise.


	5. Moving Ahead

**AN:** Thank you all for waiting. Like I said updates will be more frequent so thank you all for your patience!

* * *

**Moving Ahead**

* * *

Despite the hitch romantic aspect of their relationship, i.e Naruto was still a taken man, their communication was improving. Naruto no longer completely spoke as if he was from the middle ages and Sasuke was learning about all sorts of creatures and where they lived and what they liked to do.

There were civilisations and hierarchies and really they were just like humans except not. It was more simple than he thought. Naruto was a little tight lipped about dragons but he'd let something slip every now and then. Sasuke had asked if he didn't trust him but Naruto had laughed and told him that there was much about dragon culture that even he didn't understand and that there were certain things only to be shared among dragonkin and dragonkin alone.

He'd smiled and asked Sasuke to forgive his secrecy and he had because every time Naruto smiled at him he'd swoon and his heart would falter and his cheeks would heat up and he'd give in. Even when he really, really wanted to know.

From their walking together Sasuke gathered that Naruto was not fond of the ground. He complained that trees were too thin and fickle, he dubbed everything weaker than him 'fickle', and glared at the smashed roots that his tail smashed and the soft ground that his feet sank into. On top of Naruto's impatience with the land the air was getting thinner and thinner and Sasuke was finding it harder and harder to breath.

"My hold on Itachi is thinning. It's about to break. We can stop and rest, I'll sever the bond and then put my magic on you." Sasuke nodded and set his spear aside as he sat down on the ground. Naruto sat several feet away from away from him facing him. His legs curved in front of him forming an O and he splayed his wings out behind him, stretching them out in the sunlight.

"Why do you have a breeding partner? And not a real mate? Do you have… feelings for this other guy?" Sasuke asked. He drained the rest of his water and set the bottle aside.

Naruto sighed heavily, "the dragon population has been on the decline for a very long time. Only recently at a community gathering the elders have noticed that the number of capable breeding females are refusing to take mates. Female dragons are irritable, mean and short tempered. Recently they've been breeding and killing their mates then killing the offspring if they deem it too weak."

"Oh gosh… that's terrible…"

"It is. While the instinct to mate and reproduce is there it is too risky. Several males, like myself, have been weaving magic in our bodies to host our own eggs. Without the help of females. I am still young, barely 300 years on this earth, but if I wait for full maturity then I fear there will be no one to mate with me. It would be better to start young." He smiled at Sasuke but Sasuke was feeling horrible.

He was forcing Naruto to break it off with his breeding partner when his species was going extinct. If Sasuke could give him children then he would. He definitely would. He doubt he'd be a fantastic parent but Naruto had 300 years- "You're 300 years old?!"

Naruto chuckled, "Almost 300. The gestation period for the eggs is small, roughly a year. The incubation though, that is the tricky part."

"Incubation? When the babies are still in the egg?"

Naruto nodded, "It's not certain when they'll hatch. My mother forcefully incubated me for 20 years but I doubt that was the norm. My mother was… an odd dragon."

"Was she mean too? I don't mean any offense. Just curious."

"I don't think so. Through linking our minds she shared knowledge of the world with me but by the time I hatched she was gone."

Sasuke shuffled forward and laid his hand on top of Sasuke's. "I'm sorry for your loss."

Naruto nodded at the sentiment. Sasuke guessed that just saying sorry didn't help much. Even after 300 years had passed. "Let's talk about something else!"

"You should be resting."

Sasuke waved him off. "I'm fine I'm fine. We just need to refill the water bottles and hunt something to eat. Then I'll be at full percent." Naruto looked concerned but Sasuke forged ahead. "Hey so I was wondering about my brother. What was it that he saw? It had to do with me right? He was mumbling my name so I'm assuming?" Sasuke asked. Naruto had avoided the question the first time and the past few days he'd been absorbed in the fact that Naruto wanted to give 'us' a try so he'd shelved Itachi but it was gnawing on his inside.

"Your brother wishes for a you that doesn't exist." Naruto said simply and didn't seem inclined to continue. Sasuke frowned and scowled at him.

"What does that mean? He's _my brother_ Naruto I deserve to know."

"You asked me to protect you. I did. Why are you so concerned with what he thinks of you? He's hurt you. Would it not be best to put him in the past?"

"No! Because when we get over the mountain and I see what I want to see then I'm going back home. Back in the clan are my mother and father and Itachi! Itachi will be there and I don't know, maybe knowing will help me relate to him…"

"You plan to return?"

"Of course! I promised my mother I would."

"Even if it would cost you your life?!" Naruto scoffed at him. It was the first time he'd done so and it really caught Sasuke of guard. He simply sat there staring at his companion his mouth open to retort but his mind was drawing a blank.

On the bright side Naruto's vocabulary was definitely starting to mimic his own.

"That's not for you to decide Naruto." He said at last putting as much steel in his voice as he could.

Naruto shook his head and chuckled softly but not in the soothing way Sasuke had gotten used to. He was starting to regret telling Naruto to mimic him. He apparently wasn't a very nice person. Naruto got up, brushed his clothes off, as he'd seen Sasuke do, take his water bottle and walk off. Sasuke panicked. "I'm only going to get water. I smell a stream near by. I shall be back- I'll be back in a few."

"I'll come with you." Sasuke hastily offered.

"No you should rest." Naruto said refusing his company. Sasuke stood there in the warm sun and stared at Naruto's back as he walked off. Unsure what to do with himself he considered sitting back down but then decided to just pace back and forth. Itachi _was_ his brother. His brother wasn't the best person in the world but he was still family. If he knew what it was that Itachi wanted from him then if he gave it to him they could live better.

Sasuke was baffled, he couldn't figure out why Naruto thought that that was such a bad idea. He wanted to get along with his brother. Itachi didn't like that he was gay but if Itachi was out here chasing him then he must love something about Sasuke and if he could magnify whatever that was then their sibling relationship would improve by leap.

Sasuke counted in his head. Almost twenty minutes and Naruto was still gone. He sighed, rolled his shoulder, hefted up his spear and went after the blonde. Finding Naruto was easy. He had no control over his tail so it just swung or dragged over everything. He spotted the blonde in a pool of water with waters bubbling around him but the rest of the stream carried on as normal. He hummed and sank down even deeper the water lapping gently at his chest barely hiding his nipples. "What are you doing?"

Naruto craned his neck to look at Sasuke and smiled up at him. Dazzling and bright and it made Sasuke feel at ease. The snippy Naruto that he'd been introduced to earlier was gone for the moment. "I'm relaxing. When last have you had a wash Sasuke? Come join me." He flicked the water with a hand then beckoned Sasuke in.

"You're crazy. It's freezing up here…"

"Sit beside me. I'll keep you warm. I'm quite hot."

'Yes you are,' Sasuke thought but he kept that to himself. "I don't think that's a good idea…"

"Trust me." And he did, so he slowly took his clothes off but hesitated when he got to his underwear. He wasn't ready to be fully naked infront of Naruto so he wanted to keep it on. "You should take those off as well. I'm not confident in my abilities to dry them instead of burn them to ashes." Naruto laughed nervously and scratched the back of his head and really this was all just a bad idea.

"No you know what I think I've changed my mind. I'm already shivering."

"That is because you're just standing there. Come join me." Skinship meant nothing to Naruto. Sasuke had first met him wearing a loincloth and he had been unashamed. Well, who wouldn't be, muscles thick and sinewy, bronzed skin and glittering scales. On the other hand Sasuke was tall and lanky and paler than porcelain. He cleared his throat and shucked his underwear off them hurried into the pool. The closer he hedged to Naruto was the hotter the water became so he could only stay by the edge of the bubbles so he wouldn't burn himself.

"The water is too hot where you are so I'll just sit over here." Sasuke gingerly set himself down on a few rocks and leaned back until he found a comfortable position.

"My apologies." Naruto drawled a loopy smile on his face. "Isn't the water fantastic?"

Sasuke nodded, "It is." He said and they fell into a comfortable silence. "Naruto… about my brother."

"He wishes for you to be as you were before you matured into who you are now. With the preference you have now. He believes that you rotted the more you mature. He believes that you're still rotting in fact," Naruto's head lolled back as he looked up at the canopies above them. "He believes the way to cure you is the rod... like beating the dust from a rug." He turned his head to look at Naruto and the bubbles around him faded. He shifted closer to the young man and sighed as he cupped Sasuke's cheek. "He'll ruin you Sasuke." Naruto said his brows knitted close together, "Why do you care for a man like that?"

Sasuke laid his hand over Naruto's and turned his head to it. "He's my brother..."

"That can't be enough."

"But it is..." he said softly. "It's how I was raised. You don't hunt alone, you don't patrol alone, heck we don't even bathe alone... we're a family. Family sticks with family." Naruto pursed his lip and frowned.

"I disagree!" He said suddenly and pulled Sasuke into a hug. He stilled instantly not wanting the scales to scratch him up but when he put his hand on the side of Naruto's leg all he felt was skin. Curiously he ran his hand up and down his thigh but still it was all just skin. "I do not think that-"

"What's wrong with your leg?" He pulled away to look at Naruto properly but his body seemed to shift and Sasuke's vision swam for a moment. He had to look at Naruto cross eyed to see his scales and tail because if he looked at him head on he looked blurry and distorted but human. He felt human too.

Naruto chuckled lowly, "what sort of face is that?"

"You..." He focused on a spot just behind Naruto neck so he didn't feel so dizzy. "You look human. I can touch you too. What's happening?"

"Oh. It's the effects of the pond. You look the same to me but I suppose it distorts the visions of humans. We should leave. You look ill." Naruto stood and pulled him up with him. He looked up at Naruto's face as the blonde helped him out of the pool and sure enough he looked blurry but completely human. No scales on his face anywhere, he stroked the side of Naruto's face before they completely left the water and he couldn't anymore.

Sasuke hefted him up out of the water and steadied him on the moss while he went to get their clothes. Sasuke shivered lightly and rubbed his arm as he looked down at the water. Despite the clearness of the water, he could count every stone at the bottom of the pool he couldn't see his reflection. What he did see, on the other side of the pool was jet black stallion with a long spiralling obsidian horn. He gaped at it, wondering if he was hallucinating until he heard the neigh and looked up.

Delicately drinking from the water in the pool at the other side was a black stallion with silky looking black mane. His hoofs were dark brown and shiny, as if he'd never stepped hoof on dirt before. He heard other neighs and looked around to find three other horses. These ones were pure white and female, Their yellowing blonde manes matched their spiraling horns in color. Maybe it was his harem?

Naruto tugged him away from the pool and helped him into his shirt. "How are you feeling Sasuke?" He asked gently.

Sasuke looked over his shoulder at the horses who were nuzzling and neighing gently to each other. "Uhmm... I'm fine." He said. "Do you see that?" He pointed at the horses but Naruto didn't seem to notice them.

"See what?" He asked squinting in the distance.

"Uhmm..." he looked back at the horses, the stallion was staring at him with his eyes completely black as well stared unblinking at him. "Nothing." He shrugged his shirt on and the rest of his clothes before he and Naruto left the pool. "Actually we should fill our water bottles. That's why we came here."

"Oh no. Too much of that water will kill you. Just laying in it made you sick."

"Yea but I feel great!" He smiled at Naruto and carressed his face. "My skin is so smooth."

"The water has healing properties, among other things, so you shouldn't ingest it. Unless you need it."

"Well all the more reason why I should get some. One bottle of magical healing and one bottle of regular water."

"The bottles are the same. You might make a mistake."

"I'll scratch the magical bottle with a stone." He shrugged, "No problem."

Naruto stared at him from a moment, "I'll come with you." He said slowly picking up Sasuke's bag and sliding it over his shoulder.

"Oh no no! No need!" Sasuke waved him off and took the bottle. "I'll take just two minutes." He protested as he started off to the pool. Several steps away and Naruto was still walking behind him. "Really Naruto. I'll only be a minute."

"Yes however you have been acting strange." They reached the pool and Sasuke's breath caught in his throat. He horses were prancing around in the water. Splashing and neighing as they played. Flashing their manes back and forth, the water arced beautifully in the air. The sunlight seeming to make it sparkly. He stood there entranced as he watched them until Naruto blocked his view. His face marred with concern. "What are you seeing that I am not?" Sasuke blinked at him and stepped back.

"Uhmm," he pushed past Naruto as he watched the unicorns play and at the risk of becoming entranced again he focused on the ground at his feet as he stooped and collected the water and then turned his back to them as he scratched the bottle up. "I think I'm hallucinating?" He asked.

"Hallucinating?" Naruto laughed and helped him to his feet. Together they faced the pool. Sasuke didn't know what Naruto was seeing but to him the unicorns were leaving the water and running around, chasing each other. They were so breathtakingly beautiful. He was so glad he left the Uchiha compound. "What do you see Sasuke? You seemed enthralled." Naruto smiled at him softly.

"Unicorns," Sasuke breathed and the smile melted from Naruto's face. "What?" Naruto looked up sharply. "You're seeing unicorns? What did you do?"

Sasuke looked up startled, "nothing. I didn't do anything. He just came to me. Well he didn't come to me exactly... He's just staring at me like, he wants me to come to him?"

"Most likely to punish you," Naruto said darkly. "Come. We leave this place now." Naruto gripped his arm in a tight hold and pulled him away from the pool. Together they gathered their things but Naruto stopped him as he took up his spear, "If a unicorn wishes to curse you you should at least try to appease him."

"Appease him? I didn't do anything."

"Your family hunts and kills dragons. Unicorns are the foundation of magic. They are a kin to our gods. They can be an omen prophetic significance or portent evil. I fear what he may do to a hunter like you. Unicorns are unpredictably and incredibly powerful, do your best to show it the utmost respect while we flee."

Sasuke frowned as he ran his finger tip along the spear's tip, "Well... alright but... I crafted this myself. For months before it was perfect. I can't just abandon it..."

Naruto pursed his lips as he watched the young man before an idea came to him, "then we shall bury it. I'll cover it in protective magic so that it is preserved until you come to retrieve it."

"You can do that?"

"There may be a time limit of 50 years but I am positive you will be back for it. Now come," Naruto said dropped to his knees. "Let us make haste." Naruto was much more efficent at digging than he was. His claws dug smoothly into the ground and ripped away root and scratched through stone with minimal effort. They divided the workload by Naruto digging and Sasuke clearing away the extra dirt. At a few feet into the ground Sasuke wrapped the spear up in the only blanket that he had and reverently laid it into the hole. He touched it one more time before he moved away and let Naruto perform his magic on it which was staring at it intently for a few minutes and then lightly touching it. The blanket glowed dully for a second before it dimmed.

"That's it?" Sasuke asked.

"That's it." Naruto echoed as he scooped palmful after palmful of dirt. Sasuke was helping him when he heard they neigh again. It was beckoning him now and it took all of his willpower to not look up. He really didn't want to be cursed.

"How are we going to get rid of the unicorns?" he asked a bit strained.

"Once you enter the human world on the other side of the spine you'll be free from judgement."

"What? I thought that we..." he blushed and looked away. Naruto took his dirty hand into his and smiled at him.

"Once I properly explain to my partner what it is that I now wish then I will come find you. I assure you." So Naruto said but how would that work? A dragon in the human world? They'd have to sneak around so that no one discovers Naruto and abuses him.

He nodded instead of voicing his doubts and smiled at the blonde man. Naruto's tail curled around his leg and he plucked a large scale from the base of his tail. He winced slightly as he gave it to his companion. It was beautiful and thick and had some blood on it. "Thank you? You could have just waited until you shed a scale though."

"Yes that was quite painful however that it for you to track your spear at a later time. Keep it on you and it will shine in the direction of the spear." Sasuke turned the scale side to side and true to Naruto's word the scale shone brightest when it was closer to the spear. Sasuke tucked it into his backpack and secured it down at the bottom before he stood and handed it to Naruto. He stepped off to follow the blonde when the black unicorn appeared before him. Trotting between him and Naruto. He froze up.

Slowly he lowered his eyes and tried to side step the horse but one of his females blocked the way. He tried to step back but there was another one there too. "N-Naruto..." he called weakly his heart was hammering in his chest.

"Sasuke? You smell terrified. Is it the unicorn? Where is he?" The unicorn in question sat down infront of his and nuzzled his leg. "Where Sasuke?" Naruto was spinning back and forth trying to see but Sasuke cocked his head to the side and reached out. Halfway to the horse's mane he stopped, hesistant, but the horse pushed his neck up against him.

He laughed gently as he ran his hand up and down his mane and scratched his neck. "I don't think he wants to hurt me." Sasuke said but Naruto didn't seem to hear him. He was just standing there on guard. "Naruto?" Aside from the neighs Sasuke noticed that there were no other sounds. The branch that Naruto's tail had just smashed through seemed frozen in place instead of falling to the ground. He looked down at the affectionate horse in his arms. "Is this your doing?" He asked.

The horse didn't answer, he felt silly for expecting him to. What he did do instead was slide his head between Sasuke's neck and hoist him up onto his back. "Whoa!" Sasuke exclaimed. The female horses seemed to snicker at his position, facing the stallions butt instead of facing forward like he should so a little skillful manuevering later he was properly straddling the horse. Grabbing a palmful of his mane. "I don't mean to be disrespectful or anything but I'm gonna fall off if I don't. You don't mind do you?" Sasuke asked cautiously. Of course the unicorn didn't respond, instead he kicked up dirt and started trotting.

They trotted past Naruto's still form and Sasuke twisted around so he could watch as Naruto's frame got smaller and smaller but I tug made him turn around. Somewhere in his mind something told him to face forward. That it was imperitive that he do so.

As the horse ran faster from a trot to a full on gallop the trees and landscape began to blur and fade away into a blur of green, brown and grey. The only other descernable things were his females who were galloping just out of Sasuke's reach. Sasuke couldn't tell how fast they were going but he knew that there wasn't anything natural about it. At this speed he should barely be able to breathe and should be hanging onto the horse as if his life depended on it but he was fine. The females didn't seem to have a problem keeping up and the stallion didn't seem to have a problem running so fast either.

Just as he was relaxing, the fear of falling off dissipating ever so slightly, the horses slowed and stopped. Sasuke blinked his dry eyes so they would focus on the path before them. Up ahead was a fork in the road that branched off to three paths. The first path was dead. The ground was bare and hard, sharp pointy rocks and gnarled roots protruded from the ground and looped and crawled over each other. The lone standing remains of plants that may have once stood proud along the path now withered and broken beyond repair. Tears gathered in Sasuke's eyes at the sight but he couldn't tell why. His chest ached too and yet... he wanted to go there? But he also wanted to run as far away from there as he could. That was no place for him. He felt that. But he still wanted to go. He had hope that wth care and love he could remake that downtrodden land.

The second path reminded him of Naruto. It was beautiful. Gems fit perfectly along the road on a sleek path to a beyond that was too bright for Sasuke to see. He squinted and craned his head but he couldn't see the end at all. Along the side of the road were fireflies. Beautiful glowing creatures that left trails of sparkles that made Sasuke smile. A warmth filled his chest but there was also a hollowness. As if there was something missing. Something that he needed but he wouldn't get on this path. Beneath the fireflies and their shimmery trails were scales. Dragon scales of three different colors: gold, blue and red. The glinted ever so slightly and Sasuke was entranced by them. The red scales especially. The made the hollowness within him stretch even more and he had to force himself to look away.

He looked back and forth between the first and second paths. There was no comparison. Naruto's path was the best choice and if the second path was Naruto's then the first had to be Itachi's. He swallowed thickly and turned his head to the third path.

The third path was simple. There he felt happiness, pain and love. Not overwhelming love as with Naruto's path and not crippling pain as with Itachi's path. It was average. There was no hollowness but there was longing, yearning for something that Sasuke lost. Or would lose if he went down this path. At first Sasuke thought it was death. His death. But the path wasn't grim. It called to him just as the other paths had. There wasn't anything special about this path. It looked like a normal dirt road with pretty flowers lining the way. There were a few rocks lining the path but nothing as obstructive as the first path with the prickly roots and nothing as slippery looking as Naruto's path.

"Am I supposed to choose where I want to go?" The unicorn neighed and Sasuke sighed heavily. He didn't want to go back to Itachi but there was still so much that he and Naruto needed to overcome if they were truly going to spend their lives together and then there was the third path that he didn't know anything about. "I don't know how to choose..." he said softly. He ran his hand through the stallion's mane and sighed again. "Naruto said that you were going to curse me but it doesn't feel that way." One of the females neighed loudly making Sasuke laugh softly. "I'm sorry for thinking ill of you." The horse sat and Sasuke took that as his cue for getting off. Sasuke gently cupped his head and stroked him as he thought. "I- Is there any way I could glimpse these paths before I choose? If I choose wrong then it might turn out to be a curse in the end," the same went for Naruto and the unknown path.

The unicorn chewed on the hem of his shirt pushed his horn against Sasuke's side. Fearful that the unicorn might accidentally stab him he tried to carefully and gently navigate the horn away from him when the tip broke off into his hand. He stared at the swirled tip with concealed horror. Naruto had told him not to offend the horse and now he'd broken the horn off!

He broke out in a cold sweat as he watched the horse rise and tower over him. "I- I-" He stuttered unable to get his words out. How do you even apologise for this. He stretched the hand with the horn out to the horn but he merely nibbled at Sasuke's fingers before he used his head to nudge Sasuke's shoulder. "Y- Your horn... I didn't mean to-" but the horse gave him a hard shove and propelled him to the edge of the first path. His fingers tightened around the horn and his body moved forward without his permission. "Wait! You want me to go in? This is Itachi's! I don't want to see it." But his body still moved without his permission. "How will I get out when I've seen enough?" The black unicorn nibbled on his earlobe and huffed, blowing Sasuke's hair back and he calmed. That same voice in his consciousness telling him that that was what the tip of the horn was for. He looked down at his hand, still clasped tightly around it and nodded.

He looked up and faced forward as he stepped onto the path. As soon as he did Itachi appeared beside him smiling charmingly as he always did. "Brother," Sasuke gasped but Itachi didn't reply instead he held held out his hand and Sasuke automatically took it and together they walked to the dim light far at the end of the tunnel. The closer the got to the light the brighter it got until it was so bright that Sasuke had to close his eyes completely.

"Brother! Pay attention!" Itachi scolded and Sasuke snapped his eyes open. He was back home, in his room at his table with Itachi hovering over him with one hand perched on the side of Sasuke's table. "What do you not understand?" Sasuke blinked up at him then looked down on the desk where the teaching handbook lay open. He blinked at it. A teacher was what Itachi had wanted him to become before he decided on his own to become a hunter like Itachi. He didn't want to stay in the safety of the compound to rear children. That and teaching was a woman's job.

"I'm not sure..." he answered feeling out of place. When Itachi didn't reply he saw that same composed look that Itachi gave him before he beat him that night he met Naruto.

Very softly Itachi said, "have you changed your mind about becoming a teacher again brother?"

Fear clogged his throat and his finger spasmed, quickly he looked down at his book and pulled it closer to him, "no brother."

* * *

 **A/N:** Sasuke has just been thrust into path one. What do you think awaits him? Let me know in a review! Also If you've found a 'tag' that you feel I should add to the story other that abuse then let me know and I'll add it.


	6. Trapped in Grey

**A/N:** This chapter is a little heavy so be forewarned please. I don't break the flow of the story for gorey warnings so just please scroll past parts you cannot stomach please and thank you. Please take note that _none of this happens._ It's a case of 'everything bad that can happen does', literally every decision made was the absolute worst one.

* * *

His life was as it was more or less as it was before he left. The only differences were that Itachi was now hovering over him everywhere he went and he was no longer a hunter as he wanted to be.

Also he knew of the existence of magic. Now every glimmer of gold had his heart racing as he hoped that it was Naruto returning with the body of that damned blasted unicorn that had shoved him back into this miserable life of his.

Itachi hadn't been openly cruel to him since his return. Mostly because his mother absolutely would not allow it. Just as Itachi hovered near so did she. He knew she meant well. He really did. But it was suffocating. He wanted to run away again. Naruto had told him before that they needed to go through the elven territories to get over the spine however without a magical guide would he even be able to make it? Would the elfs kill him or twist him in some unbearable way or would he simply freeze from the cold and die before he even made it half way there.

Another difference with this new life and the life he lived before he left was that now he prayed. But not to God or any such deities. He prayed to the fairies that he was told guard the innocent and to the unicorns. While he did want that black one dead he also wanted it to save him.

His most precious possession was the broken unicorn horn that he had ran a drill through and threaded it along the twine that held his Uchiha symbol. Sasuke had panicked the first time Itachi had walked in on him talking to it. He'd stared at Sasuke's palm where the gliterry horn lay before he met Sasuke's eyes, apologised for disturbing his prayers and then left. Which was how he began to pray. It was safe. Itachi, out of respect, wouldn't try to listen in or read his lips and he felt at peace, alone in his room curled on his bed and praying to the unicorns horn.

When he wasn't in his room or in the house where his mother and Itachi watched him like hawks he was at school. He was to be a grade school teacher. Grades 2 and 3 most likely. That was also Itachi's suggestion. His brother probably thought that if he controlled every aspect of Sasuke's life and put him to work then he wouldn't have the time to commit impure acts nevertheless think them but sad for Itachi that several of the young men in Sasuke's class were very good looking.

He sighed as he watched a classmate's earring twinkle every now and then. Every sparkle, no matter the color reminded him of Naruto. He'd heard a roar once and ran out of the house in just his boxes on to discover that it was children playing around. The disappointment hit him hard. He twirled his pen between his index and middle finger as he listened to his lecturer. He jotted down notes from the old fashioned blackboard and tried not to fall asleep as he droned on. Sasuke found it ironic that the man was telling him to how keep the attention of students while sounding completely monotonous. That had to take skill.

He teacher dismissed them for a short break for nearly an hour before they would return to class for homework and assignments. That man loved to give assignments. Sasuke sighed as he loaded up his text books and fiddled with his horn. "Hey," he looked up to see his cute classmate. He frowned at him.

"What?"

He chuckled sweetly and held his hand up, "easy, I'm just trying to be friendly."

"I don't need friends," he grunted as he hefted his bag onto his shoulder and scowled at the pretty man.

"Well alright then, I'll just be an acquaintance. My name is Haku," he said siddling up next to Sasuke's side.

"I'm Sasuke. Nice to meet you. Go away." Haku delicately tilted his head back and laughed heartily then pins his hair must have gotten loose because his hair effortlessly floated down from the wrap and rested weightlessly on his shoulder. With his hair down Haku was even prettier than before and much more feminine.

"My hair usually stops men in their tracks," he winked at Sasuke as he worked his hair back up. Sasuke flushed and turned away.

"Yea whatever. Stop following me. I don't need an aquaintance either." He hurried off. The only one he had feelings for was Naruto and once Naruto came to get him from this fake reality they were getting as far away from this place as possible.

Haku was insistent though. "Okay wait wait. Truth is I wanted some help? You're always at the back but your grades are top notch. I was wondering if you could help me with this extra credit assignment."

"Extra credit?"

Haku flushed prettily and Sasuke wondered if Naruto thought about him the way he was thinking about Haku. Such pale fair skin and long black hair. Sasuke hated to admit that Haku was beautiful. He frowned more at him. "Yea I missed an exam last month so I asked for some work to make up."

"Stop bothering me."

"Please!" Haku grabbed his arm but he yanked it away and shoved the boy away, his hunter instincts kicking in.

"I said no." He hissed lowly because people were looking at them now and Sasuke may be paranoid but he was sure that Itachi had someone watching him even in this classroom. Haku yelled when his arm hit the table and he looked up at Sasuke with a hurt look on his face and Sasuke felt guilt roil in his stomach but he steeled himself and left.

He sat by himself out in the courtyard and as luck would have it Haku and a group of possibly the prettiest people, men and woman, sat just a few seats down and ever so often they would look his way and whisper. One guy even patted Haku on the shoulder and sent Sasuke's stomach swirling. They were probably discussing what an abusive asshole he was. Sasuke rolled his eyes and bagged up his food to leave. He didn't feel like eating anymore.

The afternoon class was terrible. The teacher assigned them a weekend assignment and assigned them partners and since Sasuke and Haku were sitting somewhat close together the teacher took the easy route of just assigning close seatmates so he and Haku had an assignment that would make or break their grades. Sasuke sighed heavily and gripped his horn. Of course. Everything that could go wrong in this life was.

After class Haku shyly came to his desk and set a piece of paper down before he quietly left. Sasuke unfolded the note to see a set of digits and the words 'call me' scrawled messily under it. Haku had pretty features but his handwriting was terrible. He sighed again and left for the day. He dreaded going home but he did. He was a man now. He should be able to move out if he got a job but the job he wanted he couldn't get. Hunters earned the most in this clan. They protected the villagers from the dragon pillaging so of course they were paid the most. They were also well respected and admired. Sasuke wanted to be respected and admired and risk his life for the people he grew up with but being gay didn't deserve such things. He watched a group of kids run past him and way back was the runt of the group. A little gap toothed girl with pigtails and a missing shoe.

She sobbed as she chased them, begging them to wait for her and help her find her shoes. She didn't belong with a group of boys. Sasuke grabbed her arm as gently as he could and stooped down before her. "Hey," he said gently wiping her face with his rag. "are you okay?"

"Brok stole my shoe and Miki won't help me find-" hiccup, "where he hid it," she sobbed some more. "Do you-" hiccup, "Know where my shoe is mister?" Sasuke internally rolled his eyes. How was he supposed to know where her shoe was.

"No. But how about I help you find it? Blow," he instructed and she blew her nose into the rag that he would now be discarding. He wiped her nose clean then handed it to her to dry the rest of her tears. She nodded and smiled at him as he got up. She slipped her small hand into his and together they went to find her shoe where she last saw it.

Sasuke was so lost in thought and covered in dirt over two hours later when he felt a tap to the shoulder. Hunter instincts kicking in and he immediately went on the defensive as he grabbed for the hand but the person fluidly evaded his reach. "Brother?"

Itachi stood above him looking down at him curiously. "Sasuke. What are doing digging though the dirt?"

He stood and brushed his knees off. "This little one," Sasuke had to twist to find the litte girl as she'd been quiet for a while. He found he slumped against a tree in Sasuke's jacket. "Ahh she fell asleep." Sasuke chuckled. "Her shoe was stolen so I was helping her look for it. Look's like the boys hid it well."

"She was being bullied?" Itachi questioned softly.

"Ahh I don't think it was that serious. Anyways," he looked at his brother curiously, "what are you doing here?"

"It's late and you aren't home."

Sasuke frowned, "I'm not a child brother. I don't have a curfew." He bit out and Itachi frowned. A miniscule muscle twitch.

"You'd do well to watch your tone."

He bit his tongue as he rolled his eyes barely keeping down the 'whatever', "I'll take her home then head home. He moved towards the little girl but itachi blocked her path.

"I'll do it. The streets may be dangerous at nights." And that was it. Sasuke snapped.

"I was a hunter before you took me off the team!" he yelled. "I have as much skill as anyone else. Nobody would mess with me." Itachi remained quiet. The calm before the storm no doubt. Sasuke didn't know where he was getting the courage from but he was fearless. Enough so that he walked around to get the little one that was drooling all over his clothes.

"You _will not_ disrespect me Sasuke."

Sasuke turned and roared in Itachi's face, " _You don't own me!"_ Naruto said that Itachi's vision for him was a child who never grew up and never defied him. Well Sasuke was neither of those things and however long it would take Naruto to get him that that was how long he was going to take to make Itachi see him as the man he really was.

Itachi simmered, downright glared at him, not a twitch or muscle spasm but a full blown creasing of the brows. "You dare...?" He asked softly.

"I do." Sasuke said stiffly. Itachi hadn't hit him yet so he was feeling pretty good about himself. Good enough to turn his back on the only man that he'd ever feared in all his years of life. That was mistake number one, he didn't even see the blow coming. He sure as hell felt it though for all of a milisecond before he plummeted into the trunk of the tree and was knocked unconscious.

The first time he woke up was to shouting and bright lights. The second time was to pitch black darkness and mutterings. The third time was to the horn on his neck burning so hotly that he could smell his flesh burning. He shot up in bed and ripped the horn from his necklace from his neck and tossed it across the room. It missed his father's head by inches.

"Sasuke!" His mother exclaimed. Unlike last time when he awoke and his mother was thrilled she just looked plain terrified. She gripped his shoulders and shook him hard. His whole body creaked and ached. "What did you do Sasuke?" She begged. There were dark heavy bags under her eyes. "What did you say to him?"

"Mikoto that's enough dear," Fugaku said coming over.

"But Itachi!" She whispered loudly.

"How about you fix us something to eat while I talk to our son?" He smiled gently at her and patted her head gently before he pressed a kiss to her temple. "Go on," she hesitated but then she got up and left. She looked back and Sasuke several times before she actually left the room. As if she was afraid Sasuke would just disappear into thin air.

"W-what's happening?"

Fugaku sighed heavily and sat down in his mother's discarded chair. She'd moved it from his work desk to right beside him bed. Fugaku laid his hand down on top of Sasuke's hand. "Itachi has staged a coup."

"...what...?" How long had he been asleep.

"He brough you home unconcious and has kept you asleep all this time. He and several men have taken over the compound with him as the lead." Sasuke shook his head. This was too bizarre. Itachi loved this clan and their foundation. He shook his head again.

"Itachi wouldn't do that. He loves the rules. He loves the structure."

"They call themselved the Akatsuki. They want to bring purity to the world."

"...purity...?" Fugaku squeezed his hand. "He's killed Nemaru for being deformed."

"Deformed? His fingers are only joined together. He's fine."

"Itachi said it's abnormal. Sasuke," He father pulled him close and hugged him tight, "you absolutely cannot be gay anymore." He whispered harshly and something heavy settled in Sasuke's stomach.

"Dad... it's not a choice. It's just something-" Fugaku shook him.

"No more." He said before he pulled away. "I'm sorry. Your mother and I love you very much. Please don't let us watch one son kill the other."

"I-" what was he supposed to say to that? In the corner his necklace glowed brightly breifly then dulled to obsidian. "My necklace. Can you give it back to me?"

"Sasuke I need you to promise me."

"My necklace please..."

"Promise me." He said sternly looking uncharacteristically open. Sasuke had always thought his father favored his brother. Calm, cool and collected. A genius. The next clan leader coming from the Fugaku line who had never taken the chair of leadership. Sasuke had thought he'd never measure up.

Now he didn't need to.

"I promise..." he muttered since it was the only way to get his father to move. His father retrieved the necklace for him and laid it on the side of the bed before he set it on the side of Sasuke's bed, patted his shoulder and then left.

"Remember our promise son," He said before he left. That was the first time he'd called Sasuke son. Would probably be the last time too.

That night the horn glowed in a blinking pattern randomly through out the entire night. It was so scalding but the only thing it burned was Sasuke's bare flesh. If he held it through his sheets or cloth it was cool to the touch. Maybe Naruto had killed the unicorn and now he was cursed. Sasuke smirked at it. That just meant that Naruto would be there soon,

**000**

Soon wasn't soon enough. Itachi wasn't tyrannical. He was just completely psychotic. His first order or business was purifying everyone. That included scalding several people with hot water when they refused to endure Itachi's bizarre cleansing methods.

He wasn't allowed to leave the house and this was enforced by a gigantic man named Kisame. Sasuke had never seen him in the town. His skin was also tinted weird which was apparently normal where he came from. So blue skin was okay but four fingers wasn't.

Sasuke learned some months later that the horn only glowed when someone died, specifically when their lives were taken by Itachi's hand. Four months into Itachi's reign and there had been an uprising. People who considered deformities to be okay and that people shouldn't be judged by what they had no control over, how they were born. Sasuke had agreed. Sasuke had tried to join them but Kisame seemed to read his mind and was waiting for him around the corner after he shimmied down out his window.

Itachi had broken a few of his ribs and bruised a few others. The eye that he couldn't see out of was healing well too. He'd probably have a lasting scar where his head hit the tree but it could have been worse. Or at least he hoped so. He was looking on the bright side that he was still alive.

"Going somewhere?" For a big guy Kisame was creepily silent and his smile was vicious. Like a beast. He was ashamed to say that he was badly startled when he spoke up. Sasuke probably wouldn't have noticed him otherwise.

"To look for my brother. I need to see him," His parents had warned him to stay away from Itachi but they were still brothers. Maybe he could talk some sense into him.

Kisame chuckled, it was the worst sound Sasuke ever heard. "No can do little brother," Sasuke shuddered at the name.

Sasuke frowned at him and pulled a knife from his waist, "don't try to stop me." his chances of winning against Kisame were exactly zero. Which was why he was counting on his small stature to at least annoy him enough to slip up so he could run away. A tactical retreat.

He had to see his brother. Other than wanting the madness to stop his unicorn's horn was glowing. Just a steady burn but Sasuke had a terrible feeling in the pit of his stomach. The uprising would fail if he didn't do something.

Kisame smiled down at the blade and to Sasuke's horror took his backpack off his shoulders, a sling over bulking bag that fell apart at one tug to reveal the most grotesque looking sword he'd ever seen. It was blackened with rust with thick spikes welded all over it. "This is Samehada," he purred running his hand down the blade. Sasuke swallowed thickly. He shifted his stance to a somewhat offensive one and Kisame shifted too. His unicorn's horn glowed brightly then faded. Like a firefly and Sasuke panicked. He didn't know what that meant but he was sure something horrible was about to happen.

He moved first. He ducked low and ran up to Kisame expecting to strike his knee and least and dart out of the way at the last minute but he didn't even get close. Kisame was huge, his sword was a horrible disgusting thing but size meant nothing. He was agile. More agile than Sasuke who was wounded. He noticed the sword coming at him but he couldn't dodge. He body just couldn't handle that.

At the very last second before impact Kisame tossed the sword to his other hand and slammed the back of his fist into Sasuke's side. He tumbled safely and hurried to his feet but Kisame was already there. He grinned as grotesquely as his sword. "If I killed ya 'Tachi would kill me," he said with a chuckled. "Alright. Let's go look for big brother." He retrieved his backpack and hid his sword in it but he got Sasuke and pulled him along with him. Around his neck the horn returned to a warm glow.

The closer they got the destination was the warmer it got. He saw the community building in sight. Outside were the protesters, no weapons in site, which was good in Sasuke's eyes. Standing on the top steps was Itachi flanked by several men. With a wave of his hand they disappeared into the building and then Itachi spoke to the crowd. Sasuke pulled his arm away from Kisame and limped across the road to his brother. Sasuke spotted him while he was still in the middle of the road. His expression was unreadable.

"Brother!" he called out above the murmurings of the crowd. When he got close enough Itachi smiled pleasantly at the crowd.

"Please head inside so we can discuss this in length." He said and directed them inside. Several of them grunted but they went inside nonetheless. The door closing when the last of them were inside. "Brother." He greeted with a slight smile to ease the growing tension. He gave Kisame a look and Kisame lowered his head which shocked Sasuke. Just earlier he was giving off such killing intent and now he was lowering his head to Itachi?

"Uhmm Brother we need to talk."

"About your disrespect?"

Sasuke's jaw snapped shut but he didn't back down, "No." Itachi's brows furrowed. "I won't apologize to you for what I am or try to be who you think I should be."

"Choose your next words carefully..." Itachi said slowly and his necklace began to blink again. Even Kisame took a step back. Sasuke blinked at his brother and he realized that his necklace was warning him. Warning him that his life was in danger. Earlier because Kisame had genuinely intended to kill him before he changed his mind and now with Itachi who was being hostile towards to him.

He did need to choose his words carefully, "I mean. What you're doing isn't... It's not right Brother. These people are our family."

"I'm aware."

"Then why-!"

"Because they've ruined you." He stepped into Sasuke's space and pressed his index and middle finger to Sasuke's forehead, he used to do that a lot when they were children. Sasuke had loved it back then but now accompanied with Itachi's cold smile it only sent chills down his spine. "I'll first purify the clan then cleanse you." He whispered. "I promised to always protect you and I will." He said just as someone pulled on the community building's door.

"Someone's trying to leave."

"No one leaves."

"Why not? Aren't you going to talk to them? Make a compromise...?" Itachi smiled, as he turned to the building. His necklace glowed and warmed his chest just to the point of painful. Someone screamed and a window somewhere smashed. Sasuke stepped forward but Itachi held him back. "Something's wrong!" Sasuke yelled trying to pull away.

"Kisame. You should not have brought my little brother here. Take him home."

The tall man nodded and took hold of Sasuke arm just as the community building went up in flames. Sasuke watched in horror as someone tried to climb through the window but it was barred so they couldn't get out. A woman screamed in agony followed by several of them pounding on the door. Begging to be released. "Y-you're... you're burning them alive..."

"Fire cleanses all Sasuke. _That is what the Uchiha fan represents_. To fan the flames of purification."

"You... you're crazy..." he whispered. The screams bouncing around in his head. Whosoever had tried to climb through the window only had an arm sticking through and they weren't moving anymore.

"Kisame take my brother home. I'll deal with him later." His necklace didn't stop blinking that night. Itachi did deal with him, painfully as always.

The next day it was announced that Itachi was officially the leader of the village and his henchmen, because that's what they were, were the new officers of the village who upheld the new laws. The next time the necklace glowed red hot Sasuke left it around his neck. He deserved the burn. He wouldn't be feeling it otherwise.

The clan was forced back into a somewhat normal environment after Itachi's inauguration as the months trickled by. That included resuming classes and school. The only change in this classroom setting was that the classroom was smaller, there were less students and the teacher was different. Haku was also bald. The teacher introduced himself as Hassui and he said that he received our previous teacher's notes and assignments. They'd just be picking up where we left off as if something terrible hadn't happened. No one mentioned their previous teacher or Haku's new hairstyle. Sasuke sat far away from everyone, well as far as he could get but Haku deliberately moved from his seat to sit beside Sasuke. Sasuke expected him to say something. That he hated him or something but he didn't even look at Sasuke. After class Sasuke felt the need to apologize. He just wasn't sure where to start.

"Come over to my house. We can work on our project there." Haku said before he left class. He still didn't look at Sasuke. He bit his lip and nodded even though the other young man couldn't see.

"Yea. I'll be there." Haku wrote his address on a piece of paper, scrawled even more terrible than the first time. At home Sasuke had to explain to Kisame where he was going, why and how long he'd be gone. After explaining himself three more times Kisame brought him to Itachi's office which was where the old leader had worked and then he'd had to explain himself one more time.

"Haku is like the old you..." Itachi commented scribbling something down. "You've changed brother. You've changed. You've become pure once again. I'm proud." He looked up this time and smiled. "You've come far." He said. Sasuke nodded. He was still as gay today as he was one year ago when Itachi took over. "Don't let him taint you Sasuke. I'll be forced to properly purify him." 'properly purify' was just prettying up burning someone alive.

"I understand Brother." He replied like a good little boy.

Itachi set his pen down and walked over to his window by the fireplace. "Just so you do..." He murmured absently. Kisame grabbed him from behind and ripped his shirt off in one powerful go.

"Hey! What the fuck!" He punched at the man but he might as well have punched stone.

"Impure language brother." Itachi clicked his tongue. "You do require a cleanse." Sasuke paled. Since Itachi's reign he'd been cleansed four times. That was four times too many.

"It was an accident!" He pleaded. "It was a slip of the tongue! I swear! Brother forgive me!" He begged. Itachi didn't seem to hear him as he stared into the fire, rolling the poker around and heating it until it glowed. He struggled against Kisame's hold but the bigger man easily wrestled him to the ground and pinned him there. "Brother don't!" He gasped. Kisame squeezed his arms to his side between his thick thighs as Itachi neared him with the iron rod.

"Because I love you Little Brother," He said as he pressed the rod into Sasuke's skin and pressed down. Sasuke screamed and thrashed against Kisame's hold as the branding iron burned another scar into his back. Another fan to match the other four already present on his back. This wasn't love. There was no way this was fucking love! He screamed in his head too. He screamed for Naruto. He screamed for the black unicorn. Fuck it he screamed for God too.

The stink of his flesh clogged his nostrils. He spasmed in the hold and frothed at the mouth. His eyes rolled over and his vision darkened. When he came to, the first thing he saw was Itachi smiling down at him. He groaned as he tried to move away. "You..." His shoulder screamed with pain and his vision swam. The smell of his burning skin lingered in the air. He gagged and slapped his hand over his mouth.

"You were unconscious for a mere hour. Much shorter than previously. You're being purified Brother." He elegantly waved his hand to the door with a smile. "You'll remember this when you meet with that boy."

Sasuke struggled to his feet. Neither of them helped him, they seemed content with watching him suffer. "Why?"

"Why?"

"Why did you chop Haku's hair off...?"

Itachi sighed and shook his head, as if he were remorseful, "men should look like men." Sasuke swallowed thickly as he limped from the room. His shoulder was screaming. He slowly made his way home and dug through his belongings to find Haku's number. Their conversation was stilted. 'I can't make it' 'when will you come then?' 'Soon' 'Tomorrow?' '...yea' And then he hung up. Haku hated him but was tolerating him for the sake of his grade.

His mother gently dressed his wound and wrapped it. She didn't ask about it. They didn't talk about Itachi anymore. She was thin, lanky, as if something in her mind had broken. She was so frail now. Sasuke was afraid of upsetting her. The last thread of sanity she was clinging to seemed to fray daily. "I'll be going over to a friend's house tomorrow mother," he faked enthusiasm. Sasuke decorated his everyday life colorful and made funny face and exaggerated voices so his mother would smile, maybe laugh.

"Oh?" She asked looking genuinely surprised.

"I do have friends mother," he smiled at her. "He's great. Really talented and tall. I wanna be like him when I grow up." He winked at her and she fanned him off.

"Oh dear if you get any taller I'll mistake you for a tree!" She groused and Sasuke laughed. "Oh look at the time, dinner time," she chimed. She dropped a kiss on his head before she glided away as elegantly as always and when she was gone Sasuke's smile fell. He needed to get rid of Itachi. His mother wouldn't last like this... He spent the rest of the thinking of scenarios in which he could successfully kill his brother, none of which panned out successfully. He slept fitfully and even though Haku probably wasn't thrilled to have him in his home he was looking forward to some time away from home.

He went home with Haku after school the next day, his wound throbbed but his mother had dressed it tightly so with limited movement he could function. Haku's house was pretty big, well decorated too. "Nice house."

"Thanks. Go upstairs. First door on the right. Make yourself at home." He nodded and did as he was told. Haku's room was bigger than his own with a small table in the middle of the room and several pillows laid out even though there were only two of them. He settled down facing the door and pulled his supplies out. Haku came back moments later with a tall jug of juice and a platter of sandwiches.

"You didn't need to do that," Sasuke tried for a friendly smile but Haku didn't return it. Haku hadn't smiled since Itachi took his hair. He poured Sasuke a jug of juice and set it in front of him then poured one for himself too. He took a polite sip then thought better of it and just down the whole cup. He cleared his throat. "Thanks. We should start with choosing a title," he cleared his throat again. "I was thinking Early Childcare and Dev-" He cleared his throat again and cough. "Sorry about that my thro-" he had a coughing fit. He turned away from the table as blood pooled in his mouth and spilled out over his hand.

"Your brother killed my fathers for being impure," Haku said coldly sitting daintily at the table, unconcerned with Sasuke. "Come in!" he called over his shoulder. Sasuke coughed and tried to get to his feet, to try to get away but his path was blocked by several people, most likely who the extra cushions were for. They shoved him back into the room and he tumbled over, so much blood was pooling in his throat he couldn't breath. The one time he didn't wear his necklace, he was poisoned.

"You're impure," one of the men said. " _We'll_ purify _you_ ," he snarled as they pushed into the room. He felt several hands on him as someone knocked him on the head but it wasn't enough to knock him out, the rough handling made his burn throb. What did the trick was his blood that pooled faster than he could hack it up.

The blackness swirled and speckled with grey as it twisted tighter and tighter into a pinpoint and then widened suddenly and brightly and he was back to standing in front of Itachi's path. This time he could see the end. He'd asphyxiated on his own blood and then they'd set his body on fire. Sasuke turned away from the scene. The scent of Itachi searing his flesh earlier prominent in his nostrils.

He turned on the horse, "What the fuck was that?" He demanded. Around his neck his necklace dangled, the horn still attached, he yanked it off and tossed it at the black stallion. "Fuck you!" He snarled. The horse neighed angrily and a voice echoed in his head to not be rude, it sounded like Naruto but after a year without the blonde he wasn't sure anymore so he ignored. "I don't give a fuck. Put me back where you found me. Fuck you!" The horse reared up on his back legs and shuffled back and forth. Sasuke dodged his forelegs while he tried to find a sharp stick or something but before he could find one the horse heavily dropped down on his forelegs, shaking the ground with a shock and throwing Sasuke off balance. The horse turned and using his hind legs he sent Sasuke flying through the air with a powerful kick. He'd expect such a kick to kill him but instead it sent him skidding down Naruto's slippery path and to the bright light at the end. He grappled the jeweled flowers lining the walkway, screaming 'no' as he went. He didn't want to see his future. He couldn't bare it if Naruto ended up a monster like Itachi. He was afraid.

He couldn't stop his descent though and when the world shifted again he was staring up at the ceiling of a cave, he sat up quickly and turned around. Lying on the opposite side of the bed where he'd been laying was Naruto but not Naruto at the same time. This Naruto's hair was longer, his skin and scales darker and he had... a goatee?

* * *

 **A/N:** This was a little heavy but it'll all be alright!

Note: I was made aware, via review, that a couple this from the previous chapters don't add up so overtime I'll change those and I'll let you all know about the changes. You won't have to reread anything I'll just made a note about what was changed.

Sorry for the delay in updates.


End file.
